(11 Nov 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of British troops standing around memorial for Armistice Day ceremony and standing to attention to begin to observe two minutes' silence
2. Mid of two soldiers standing next to cannon and firing cannon
3. Wide of soldiers standing for two minutes' silence
4. Various of soldiers observing silence
5. Pan up from wreath of poppies to cross on war memorial
6. Soldiers standing around memorial UPSOUND of canon being fired to mark end of two minutes
7. Canon after being fired surrounded by smoke
8. UPSOUND of soldier leading the service (no name available ) "At this hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns finally fell silent on the western front, marking the end of the First World War."
9. Pan of soldiers listening
10. Soldiers listening
11. Soldiers at ceremony
12. Wide of ceremony
STORYLINE
British soldiers serving in Afghanistan on Tuesday commemorated Armistice Day in the deadliest year for British forces since the Falklands conflict.
The firing of a 105mm light gun marked the start of the sombre ceremony at Camp Bastion in Helmand province.
Troops at the base stood still and observed two minutes' silence as they paid their respects to those killed in action.
Britain is at a crossroads in its Afghanistan policy as it considers plans to boost troop numbers - all while balancing waning public support and demanding democratic reform in the ravaged nation.
Support for the mission dwindled even further following the killing of five British soldiers by an Afghan officer they had worked with at a checkpoint in Helmand province.
The remains of the five and one other soldier killed in a separate incident were repatriated to Britain on Tuesday and there were emotional scenes as relatives and hundreds of members of the public paid their last respects to the men as their coffins were driven through Wootton Bassett.
The small town, about 85 miles (135 kilometers), comes to a complete standstill every time a soldier killed in action is repatriated to the nearby RAF base and as such has become synonymous with the Afghan mission's dangers.
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