100th Anniversary Commemorations - Northern Attack, Battle of Aubers R

[Victoria Burbidge]

It has proved unbelievably difficult to organise the centenary commemorations to mark the Northern Attack of the Battle of Aubers Ridge. Those of you in the know will be only too aware of the struggles over the last couple of months to arrange (and re-arrange!) the timings for the main service on 9^th May. Suffice to say, it has been altered something in the region of five times in order to accommodate the wishes of our colleagues in Fromelles ……..

And so:

Friday 8^th May and Saturday 9^th May

Exhibition to mark the 100^th Anniversary of the Battle of Aubers Ridge

There will be a photographic exhibition of the men to be held at the village hall (La Salle du Temps Libre) in Fromelles. It will also include certain artefacts on loan from the now defunct museum based in the attic of the Mairie.

Friday 8^th May 2015 – 15.30 hours for 16.00 hours

A service of Remembrance at the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing

The Ploegsteert Association holds a service at the Memorial on the first Friday of every month. They have very kindly agreed to hold an additional service on Friday 8^th May to honour our men. We will have the opportunity to lay wreaths and/or flowers. It will be possible to purchase drinks immediately afterwards at the Auberge across the road. I shall be covering the cost of the nibbles etc.

Saturday 9^th May 2015 – 05.30 hours (05.45 for 24^th Brigade)

Zero Hour - Dawn Vigil at VC Corner, Fromelles

A small of group of us will be at VC Corner from just before 05.30 in order to spend some quiet time reflecting on the events of that Sunday one hundred years earlier. This is open to all, but I would reiterate that it will be a time of quiet reflection for those who wish to mark the occasion, to do so in their own way. It is worth pointing out that for the men of 2/Northants, zero hour was at 5.50.

The vigil will be followed by a small service at the Kennedy Memorial during which time we will lay a wreath on behalf of Captain Kennedy’s niece, Clare Heddy née Kennedy (who passed away last month) and her grandmother Lady Kennedy.

Saturday 9^th May 2015 – 12.30 hours

Lunch for the British Guests – La Salle Du Temps Libre (Village Hall), Fromelles

This is open to all, but we would be grateful to know, in advance, how many are likely to attend.

Saturday 9^th May 2015 – 15.15 for 15.30 hours

Service of Remembrance - Memorial Park, Rouges Bancs, Fromelles

This service will take place on the spot where, exactly a hundred years to the day and against all odds, our men held a stretch of German trench.

The service will begin with those who wish to do so crossing the old No-Man’s-Land along the road from VC Corner to the Memorial Park (approximately 100 metres), walking in the footsteps of our men. We will be piped across by a Pipe Major of The Field Marshal Haig's Own Pipes & Drums.

During the service, we shall hold a Roll of Honour of sorts, when our British guests will have the opportunity, one by one, to say the name of the man (or men) whom they will be representing.

As in previous years, guests will be invited to lay wreaths or flowers and also a pebble. It is these pebbles which will form the base of our British memorial – and a British memorial at Fromelles I am determined we will have.

A drinks reception (to accompany the Exhibition) will be held at the Village Hall in Fromelles immediately after the service.

Could those wishing to lay a wreath please let me know in advance of their intention to do so as I will need to add their name to list. For those who cannot be with us that weekend, please let me know if you would like the British Memorial Association, Fromelles to lay a small wooden poppy cross on your behalf. We would be delighted to do so, but I would say again, please do make the effort to attend. The British attendance is vital if we are to push on with our plans for a memorial to our men at Fromelles.

Please let me know if you will be attending any or all of the events mentioned above and how many will be in your group. I will need to ensure that we have catered for everyone.

I shall be in France from Thursday ^7th May and can be contacted by email at Victoria.Burbidge@ntlworld.com or by sending me a PM.

Some of you may remember arriving in Fromelles on the eve of the 90^th anniversary of the Battle to be informed that the service, to which we had been invited, had been cancelled. The last ten years have been something of a battle in their own right and this last month particularly so. Please make the effort to be there for our men.

Hoping to see as many of you there as possible.

V.

[Fattyowls]

Victoria

It sounds like you have done a fantastic job in getting all of this sorted out. I hope the programme goes really well; I'll have the ground of the northern attack in my mind's eye on Saturday morning.

Pete.

[Victoria Burbidge]

I'll have the ground of the northern attack in my mind's eye on Saturday morning.

Thank you for your good wishes. It will probably be a rather more low-key service than most of these things, but I'm reasonably happy with that. It's important to remember why we're there, rather than what we can do. Fingers crossed that the sun shines and it's slightly less windy than last year. I thought we were going to be adding a few more names to the Plugstreet Memorial ......

V.

[Fattyowls]

Thank you for your good wishes. It will probably be a rather more low-key service than most of these things, but I'm reasonably happy with that. It's important to remember why we're there, rather than what we can do. Fingers crossed that the sun shines and it's slightly less windy than last year. I thought we were going to be adding a few more names to the Plugstreet Memorial ......

V.

Victoria, I've just looked at the weather forecast for Saturday; breezy with drizzle later. Sorry. When I was there three weeks ago the weather way idyllic; I'm not really helping much am I? I'm sure it will be great. As you say it is about them.

Id like to get in touch about the association if you have some time after the event; I've sort of adopted three Australian soldiers who were killed in 1916 and I'd like to know more.

Pete.

[Victoria Burbidge]

Send me an email. I'd be interested to hear more of your "adoptees".

V.

[Fattyowls]

Send me an email. I'd be interested to hear more of your "adoptees".

V.

Will do; I'll send you a PM for your email address when the commemoration is over. It is the result of a chance meeting and the magic of the electrical interweb.........

Pete.