The Somme 2016

The Somme The Somme 2016

Delville Wood 2016

24 July, 201622 April, 2018 Bandmaster

Sunday 24th July was to be the final day of the tour, but it was to be another special day. Having checked out of the hotel, everyone set off for Longueval and Delville Wood, a place that, like Thiepval, is always on the itinerary due to its Orient connections with William Jonas. Firstly a full wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Football League Memorial after which the band paraded the short distance to Delville Wood where a special time of words, prayer and song took place lead by the O’s…

The Somme The Somme 2016

Thiepval Centenary Celebrations 2016

23 July, 201622 April, 2018 BandmasterFootballers Battallion, Leyton Orient, Thiepval

The visit to the Thiepval Memorial was to be one of the highlights of the 17th Pals’, not only during this trip but probably always as the bands performance was videoed and shown live on the Legion’s website. Moreover, footage of the band at Thiepval was also shown on the BBC Breakfast Show that morning. It was an extremely proud occasion, particularly when the band formed up at the large cross at the rear of the memorial and marched up between the crosses and headstones of the French and British…

The Somme The Somme 2016

22 July, 201622 April, 2018 Bandmaster

It was obvious that this special trip needed to be organised to the battlefields of northern France in 2016 commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. Four coaches and a convoy of cars with a total of over two hundred people including the 17th Pals’, who also had a pipe band which was organised by former Royal Marine Duncan MacKinnon added to their numbers, made their way over to the Somme departing the O’s on the morning of Thursday 21st July. Having docked in Calais, the coaches drove…