21-11

[eepee]

Where was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day?

Presumably European time zones existed in those days.

Regards,
ep

[swill453]

During WW1 Britain, France and Belgium all used GMT. Germany was one hour ahead. France didn't start using CET until much later (either during WW2 or in the '50s, I didn't find a definitive answer when doing a quick lookup).

So armistice was 11am GMT.

Though I think it might be commemorated in France at 11am CET now, but not sure of that.

Scott.

[XFool]

During WW1 Britain, France and Belgium all used GMT.

Do you mean militarily, rather than domestically? Obviously it would be an overriding advantage, even necessity, for the allied forces to use a common time standard. But domestically, wasn't BST introduced in Britain in 1916?


P.S. Though the eleventh month would not have been on BST!

[swill453]

P.S. Though the eleventh month would not have been on BST!

Precisely. Means I didn't have to research that aspect

Scott.

[jackdaww]

During WW1 Britain, France and Belgium all used GMT.

Do you mean militarily, rather than domestically? Obviously it would be an overriding advantage, even necessity, for the allied forces to use a common time standard. But domestically, wasn't BST introduced in Britain in 1916?


P.S. Though the eleventh month would not have been on BST!

=====================================

the military , and probably airlines etc have to use a common time.

american forces use zulu time which is GMT.

[Dod101]

All the time zones were established I think at the time the CPR was built coast to coast in Canada (1881/5). With each town having its own time it was a bit difficult to advertise a timetable for trains, and so 'railway time' was born. So time zones and GMT were established during the 1880s.

I thought that time was always more difficult for mariners than the military.

Dod

[XFool]

american forces use zulu time which is GMT.

Strictly speaking, nowadays Zulu time is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Wikipedia

GMT still exists but, outside of the UK, is surely largely historical these days.

[jackdaww]

american forces use zulu time which is GMT.

Strictly speaking, nowadays Zulu time is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Wikipedia

GMT still exists but, outside of the UK, is surely largely historical these days.

==========================

yes, thanks.

i should have said also - in the 1960's when i was working for a contractor to USAF.

[newlyretired]

...and where does the 21 come from in the subject line?

newlyretired

[tjh290633]

He might have meant 23-11, which could refer to 11 minutes after 11pm.

TJH

[gryffron]

I thought that time was always more difficult for mariners than the military.

Time zone - Pah! During the Austrian war of succession 1740s, the British and their German allies were using calendars that were 11 days out of sync. (Due to the change from Julian to Gregorian calendars, which did not occur in Britain until 1752)

Gryff

[eepee]

Sorry folks - havehad eye surgery so have not been onlne in over a week.

The 21 was a typo although judging by the comments, I wish I had had the intelligence to have typed it deliberately!

Regarding GMT - isn't it still used as the global reference for shipping movements and communication?

Regards,
ep

[XFool]

Regarding GMT - isn't it still used as the global reference for shipping movements and communication?

Don't really know. But probably not.

Wikipedia - Marine Chronometers

Though perhaps you mean the terminology and time zone 'GMT', rather than GMT itself.

Mind you, my understanding is that UTC is still artificially kept within defined bounds of GMT. Hence Leap Seconds.

Wikipedia - Leap Seconds

Mind you, the Americans and I think the French (Pah!) and others have proposed abandoning Leap Seconds and setting UTC finally free from the constraints of GMT. For now they are still in place.

Wikipedia - Proposal

The more you ask: "What time is it?" the more complicated the answer becomes...

[XFool]

More on GMT. Wikipedia is as useful as ever:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Mean_Time