O’s Somme Tour 2018

The 17th Pals’ Battalion Band, along with over two hundred Leyton Orient supporters and friends of the Club, travelled over to the battlefields of northern France in June,to pay their respects to the fallen of the Great War and in particular the players, staff and supporters of Clapton Orient who enlisted en masse into the 17th Bn Middlesex Regiment – The Footballers’ Battalion, during the Great War, particularly remembering William Jonas, George Scott and Richard McFadden who all made the ultimate sacrifice during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Whilst the story is now well documented, it was also good to be able to visit for the very first time the resting place of a former ‘O’, Lieutenant Colonel Alan Roderick Haig-Brown who was awarded the DSO for his bravery. Visits were also made to the Vimy Ridge Memorial and trench network and the Arras Memorial, where one hundred and ninety-two soldiers from the 17th Middlesex are commemorated – including Walter Tull, who was the first black outfield footballer and the first black officer. During the memorial ceremony, Steve had arranged for the names of all the soldiers from the 17th Middlesex to be read out – quite possibly for the first time in over a century.

During the commemoration service to William Jonas at the Thiepval Memorial, everyone in the group was amazed when Steve Jenkins announced that a school teacher had come up to him and enquired as to why there was so many Leyton Orient supporters present. Steve informed him that they had come to pay their respects and particularly to William Jonas, to which the teacher replied that he was amazed as the name of one of the school children in his group that morning at the Memorial was William Jonas!

The 17th Pals’ Battalion Band performed before and after each commemoration service that was held. It also put on a special performance in Arras Town Square on the Friday evening which was very well received, during which Steve spoke to the gathered crowd about the O’s proud service in the Great War.

During the visit to Vimy Ridge, the band had its new Colour dedicated by Alan Comfort – former O’s footballer and now chaplain of Leyton Orient. This was a very special ceremony as the 17th Middlesex saw heavy action in the vicinity in 1917.

It was so good that Pat and Mark Smith were able to travel with the group. Pat is the Great, Great Granddaughter of George Scott whilst Mark is her son. As well as laying wreaths at both George Scott’s grave and the O’s Memorial in Flers, they were also invited to plant a small cherry tree adjacent to the memorial during the commemoration service held there on the Sunday.

During the commemoration service for Richard McFadden, Steve displayed the medals awarded to the late O’s striker, having recently acquired them. The medals had been lost for many years so it was very apt that they were shown for the very first time since their acquisition at Richard’s grave.

Without doubt, this was one of the best tours Steve has organised to the Somme and it was good that so many O’s supporters and friends had made the trip on this special year commemorating the centenary off the end of the Great War.