OFFICIALS, members of the public and Armed Forces veterans will come together to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
Taking place at Redcar’s Cenotaph at 7.30am on Friday 1 July, the remembrance service will remember the sacrifice made by Allied troops at the mid-point of the Great War.
As part of the service, the Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Cllr Barry Hunt, Redcar MP Anna Turley and Alan Frankland, the President of the Redcar Branch of the Royal British Legion will read letters from those who fought in the battle to highlight the human impact the battle had on soldiers across the country.
In addition to this, poems will be read out and hymns will be sung with veterans joined by members of the Cadet Forces and others who want to commemorate what was the start of one of war’s bloodiest battles.
The Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Cllr Barry Hunt, said: “It is an honour for me to be involved in this commemoration ceremony, the sacrifices paid by our brave soldiers in World War One – and at the Battle of the Somme – won’t be forgotten.”
Eric Howden BEM, Chairman of the Redcar Branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “The Redcar Branch of the Royal British Legion were requested, with many other branches throughout the country, to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme at 7.30am on Friday 1 July. I think we should remember all our comrades who fought on this day and the months that followed, some paying the ultimate price.
“7.30am was chosen because it was the time that a whistle was blown as a signal to the troops to leave the trenches and go over the top. Some never got further than the top.”
The event in Redcar, and across the country, has been supported by the Western Front Association, to find out more about the association go to:www.westernfrontassociation.com. To find out more about the Royal British Legion, visit: www.britishlegion.org.uk.