We will remember them: Hundreds flock to Remembrance Day funeral of Bomber Command veteran who died alone aged aged 99, while the rest of Britain stands still to honour fallen Harold Jellicoe Percival died in a nursing home and had no close relatives to attend his funeral in Lancashire But more than 300 people, including many in uniform, attended the ceremony after advert placed in local paper Mr Percival served as ground crew for Bomber Command and helped with the Dambusters raid Two-minute Armistice Day silence was observed across Britain at 11am Hundreds of well-wishers today turned out for the funeral of a Bomber Command veteran who died without any close family. Harold Jellicoe Percival, who helped with the Dambusters raid during the Second World War, died last month in a nursing home aged 99. He was laid to rest today, Armistice Day, at exactly 11am, when Britain fell silent to remember those killed in war. Remembrance: Hundreds of people today turned out for the funeral of Harold Jellicoe Percival in Lancashire Coffin: The former airman's casket was wrapped in a British flag and the Dambusters theme was played as it was carried in March: Many of those who turned out to Mr Percival's funeral were apparently in the military themselves Well-wishers: Two out of the hundreds of mourners who attended Mr Percival's funeral despite never having met him Emotion: One mourner wept at the moving event, which came after it emerged that Mr Percival had no close family to attend the service Veteran: Harold Jellicoe Percival, who died last month aged 99, served with Bomber Command during the Second World War More than 300 people attended the ceremony at the Lytham Park Crematorium in Lancashire, nearly all of whom had never met Mr Percival. Roads around the crematorium were totally jammed, while there were too many people to fit into the building. The Dambusters theme was played as his coffin, wrapped in the Union flag, was carried in to the crematorium. Many of those who attended the ceremony were dressed in military uniforms, and they applauded as the hearse carrying his coffin arrived. 'It's just staggering,' his nephew, Andre Collyer-Worsell, said after attending the service. It just shows how great the British public are. He was not a hero, he was just someone who did his duty in World War Two, just as his brother and sister did and his father before him in World War One. We were expecting a few people, a few local veterans but suddenly it snowballed. It's the sort of send-off you would want to give any loved one. It's very emotional.' Overcrowding: So many mourners attended the funeral that they could not fit inside the crematorium Silence: A trumpeter played the Last Post to remember the dead at 11am Youngsters: Two of the younger mourners who turned out to pay their last respects to Mr Percival Sermon: The vicar told those gathered that the funeral was testament to the power of the written word Gratitude: Janet Wareing, a matron at Mr Percival's care home, spoke at his funeral The vicar praised the power of the printed word to mobilise people in a good cause, and quoted John Donne: 'No man is an island.' He also told the crowd that they had 'surpassed expectations' by turning out in such numbers. 'It seemed Harold Jellicoe Percival's funeral would be sparsely attended, if indeed anyone would attend,' he said. But you have come in numbers surpassing anything that was expected. You come not because you knew him, but because each of us are part of each other. We have a common humanity. Mr Percival was known as a strong-willed, feisty and independent man who knew his own mind and enjoyed reading the Daily Telegraph each morning, mourners were told. The Lord's Prayer was read and the hymn Jerusalem sung before the Last Post was played a final time. Standing still: The funeral began at 11am on Armistice Day, when Britain stops to remember those who died in war Pride: Hundreds wanted to express support for the war hero who died last month His final journey: Mr Percival's coffin is unloaded from its hearse at the crematorium Honour: A line of cadets queuing up in the rain during the former RAF serviceman's funeral ceremony Harold Jellicoe Percival's funeral was disrupted today when the extremist British National Party tried to use the event to promote itself. Amongst the floral tributes was a bunch of flowers with a card reading: 'Stand Down Soldier... Nick Griffin MEP and the British National Party. An undertaker removed the flowers from display after BNP members began to draw attention to them by photographing them. But a party official asked angrily: 'Who has taken the flowers? They are from an MEP. If it was an MP from another party they would be left alone. However, when they demanded the return of the flowers, they were told: 'This is not a funeral for politicians or politics. There is no place for that here today. Staff who cared for Mr Percival in his final years at the nursing home wiped away tears as the service ended. Lorraine Holt, matron at the home, said: 'It was completely overwhelming, something we did not expect at all, this huge turn-out. We have lots of veterans at the home and each and every one of them should be remembered like this. Mr Percival's funeral was publicised by an advert in the local newspaper after it emerged that no close family members would be able to attend the service. He was based in the North-West of England and became part of the ground crew which helped with the Dambusters, the squadron which was initially formed to destroy dams in the Ruhr valley in Nazi Germany. Elsewhere in Britain, silence fell at 11am as multiple acts of remembrance were held across the country. The last surviving First World War widow, Dorothy Ellis, was among the guests at the national Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire. The memorial bears the names of more than 16,000 fallen service personnel. Standstill: The scene in Lloyd's of London at 11am, with thousands of brokers joining in the two-minute silence Solemn: Workers at the insurance firm traditionally turn out on the balconies and staircases of the building Iconic: The service at Lloyd's has become one of the most recognisable events of Armistice Day each year Service: A choir sings during the Armistice Day commemoration at Lloyd's The event took place within the walls of the Armed Forces Memorial, which is designed to allow a shaft of sunlight to dissect its walls hitting the bronze wreath sculpture when the two-minute silence takes place. Services held in the capital included one at the Lloyd's of London market in the City attended by the Chelsea Pensioners, and another in Trafalgar Square, featuring musical performances and readings. In Northern Ireland, the mayor of Belfast made history by being the first Sinn Fein official to attend an Armistice Day commemoration. Mairtin O Muilleoir ended the long-running republican boycott of the remembrance event, which was prompted by its links to the British military. Ceremony: One major event was held at the Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire Message: Dorothy Ellis, the last surviving widow of the First World War, left a note on a wreath at the service in Staffordshire Poignant: Mrs Ellis places her wreath on the memorial in memory of her husband Wilfred Poppies: Alan Rowe, centre, a Second World War veteran from Liverpool, at a ceremony in Ypres today Generations: Mr Rowe looks up at a young boy as paper poppies fall through the air during the ceremony under the Menin Gate The Archbishop of Canterbury visited the Ministry of Defence and the Cenotaph in Whitehall to mark the solemn occasion, where he also met service chaplains and was updated on military operations. Justin Welby said: 'At this time of year it's essential that we remember and give thanks for all those who gave their lives for the sake of freedom in the two World Wars, and also remember those who still risk their lives as servicemen and women in our Armed Forces. 'It's a time to recommit ourselves to the cause of peace and to seek to play our own small part as agents of reconciliation.' Shoppers: The two-minute silence was observed around a memorial cross at the Metrocentre in Gateshead Cross: The small memorial at the Metrocentre, Europe's biggest shopping centre Respect: Shoppers paused from their routine to honour the Armistice Day silence Salute: A cannon was fired in Nottingham city centre to mark Armistice Day Cemetery: Ira Feliciano, a U.S. air force member from Hawaii, at the American war cemetery in Cambridge with a friend's son Allies: The cemetery hosted a service honouring the American servicemen who were buried in England during the both world wars Tears: One woman was pictured crying during the two-minute silence in Edinburgh In Belgium, the Duke of Edinburgh attended a 'sacred soil' ceremony alongside soldiers of the Household Division, Belgian soldiers, and schoolchildren from both the United Kingdom and Belgium. The soil, gathered from some 70 First World War battlefields and Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries, will be brought back to the UK to form the centrepiece of a Flanders Field memorial garden at Wellington Barracks. It will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.