What was meant to be a somber day of reflection and remembrance in Cheshire, England, was shattered \u2014 literally \u2014 when a couple British veterans and a handbrake spawned a meadow\u2019s worth of oopsie daisies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two former soldiers were at the center of the Nov. 11 gaffe after forgetting to deploy the brakes of a Scimitar armored reconnaissance vehicle during the village\u2019s moment of silence in observance of Remembrance Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Onlookers quickly transitioned from a state of surprise to shock as the vehicle careened out of control and crashed into the village\u2019s memorial gate and garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cResidents had been told there was a surprise and we had been guessing all week what it would be,\u201d one villager remarked to the Manchester Evening News<\/a>. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t have written it \u2014 it was like something out of Dad\u2019s Army.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The former soldiers, Bollington councillor Mark Fearn<\/a> and former mayor Andy Langdon, splashed out \u00a3950 (around $1,280) to rent the armored vehicle for the day. The two could be seen laughing and waving as they drove through the village toward the memorial gardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pair \u2014 Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, if you will \u2014 sought to surprise the village of Bollington with the 7.8-tonne armored vehicle as part of the festivities. Instead, they drew the ire, and perhaps a chuckle or two, from the local villagers and the Royal British Legion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fearn later confessed in the community Facebook group that it was he, not Langdon, who caused the kerfuffle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOops,\u201d Fearn wrote. \u201cA bit embarrassed to say the least\u2026 I will be making a personal donation to RBL.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The RBL was not amused, however, and a spokesperson told CheshireLive<\/a>, \u201cWe are aware of an incident in Bollington on Armistice Day and our membership team are currently investigating. We were not aware beforehand that this vehicle would be used on Thursday, and it is entirely inappropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep that in your back pocket. For roughly \u00a31k, you too can ruin a day of remembrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article originally appeared on HistoryNet<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n