Thiepval Centenary Celebrations 2016
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 graves and around the memorial. The Thiepval Memorial is a regular inclusion in the itinerary of the O’s Somme Tour, as this is where Clapton Orient Centre-Forward William Jonas is commemorated, having no –known grave following his death in Delville Wood.
Courtesy of Malcolm Shykles
