I WITH my son Gerald were fortunate enough to obtain two much sought after tickets - travelled to France last week to take part in the Memorial Event at Thiepval for the soldiers who fell at the first Battle of the Somme which started on July 1 1916.

Their remains could not be identified but the names of each and every one who fought and died with so much courage then are inscribed on the huge Thiepval Monument.

The sheer scale of the endless names on the Portland built stone which is part of the huge monument is breathtaking, 72,000 names in all, the youngest a mere 15 and the oldest 59.

The event itself was one I shall never forget.

The organisation to seat and provide food and drink to 10,000 people plus of course the tight security was amazing.

We heard narrations from Charles Dance, Joely Richardson and Prince Charles who that day paled in their fame against the sheer courage of ordinary lads and officers alike, the quiet sweetness of young nurses who attended the poor souls in their last hours, the bandaged soldier that tried to comfort a captured wounded young enemy laying beside him on a stretcher.

How moving, how deeply sorrowful was that but hearing this was when you realised how dreadful war is to both sides.

Many tales were told of courage over and beyond as is the way with our brave men some being narrated by grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those whose names were there on that memorial.

I am so glad that we could go to pay our respects -my own dad Victor Childs enlisted at 17, was sent to the front in 1918 but was wounded at the Battle of St Quentin, all in the area of the Somme, he was patched up in France and England then after two months rejoined his regiment to take part in two more Battles before Armistice in November 1918 - staying on until December 1919 after transferring to the RAMC to help “clear up “ both in France and Germany.

It was good to see Britain also remembered our brave young men with ceremonies everywhere, I especially liked the young men who dressed as WW1 soldiers off to fight the war- which happened in the larger cities and just moved among the crowds saying nothing - their tribute speaking for itself.

Val Cox, Chard

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