The Commission only commemorates those who have died during the designated war years , while in Commonwealth military service or of causes attributable to service . The applicable periods of consideration are 4 August 1914 to 31 August 1921 for the First World War and 3 September 1939 to 31 December 1947 for the Second World War . The end date for the First World War period is the official end of the war , while for the Second World War the Commission selected a date approximately the same period after VE Day as the official end of the First World War was after the 1918 Armistice .