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Today, MI5 will be joining people around the UK to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.

As we join the national two-minute silence, we will be paying tribute to members of the Armed Forces, and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, reflecting on the vital role played by the emergency services and remembering those that have lost their lives as a result of conflict or terrorism.

We will be holding a short Remembrance Day service in Thames House, our headquarters, with members of staff who are currently serving in the Armed Forces Reserves laying wreaths. The service will be broadcast digitally for our staff and, as we did last year, we have established a virtual ‘Wall of Remembrance’, for colleagues to pay their own personal tributes.

MI5 was active during both the First and Second World Wars, playing a key role in combating espionage, intercepting communications, and feeding back disinformation. This included double-cross operations in advance of the D-Day landings, which convinced the enemy that the landings would take place at Calais rather than Normandy. You can find out more about our work in support of the Allied effort in both World Wars here.