It’s 04:45 and getting my bits and bobs ready for a long days travel to, Lo in Belgium via Dover and Calais.

John Robinson arrives at 06:45 to pick me up, its dark, damp but not cold. It’s now off to pick up Charlie Long and Sid Elmes who will also be travelling with us. It’s starting to get light now and the road’s not to busy.

Spoke to soon, now approaching on the A46 at Lincoln to cross the A15 and we have a bit of a tailback. Luckily not to bad only 5 minutes lost.

Bit thirsty now, time for a break. We stop at Stanstead services for cup of coffee. John has forgotten his egg sandwich, but decides not to buy one here as it would only cost him £3.95.We could only afford a coffee anyway as that was  £2.95 a cup, what a rip off.

Dover next stop, again traffic not to bad, even going through the toll at Dartford . Arrived in Dover at 12:15, well before our 13:45 boarding time. Time for a cuppa before we are allowed to board.

Boarding went well, as did the crossing, as flat as a mill pond. Arrived in Calais at around 16:00, this also included adding an hour to make it French time.

The last leg of our journey was 97 miles through the lovely French and Belgian country-side to Annie’s at the Old Abbey Hotel in Lo. This went with ease, thanks to the use of our satellite navigation system, witch John was a bit weary of as he kept wanting to turn off before we should. Arrived in Lo at around 5:45, booked in unpacked and had a quick wash, then off for a few bevies in the bar before the evening meal. After a lovely 3 course dinner, it was  time for bed and a good nights sleep.

Time to rise 07:00, breakfast at 08:00, not all that keen on continental breakfasts but you make the most of what you get. It’s now 09:00 and ready to go, John rings Steve Dyke and his young lady who is joining us joining us with Allan Carlisle as a passenger, also following Steve is Gordon Smith and his good lady Sylvia in there own car as they are later going on to Germany. They all took the overnight ferry from Hull. Unfortunately John runs out of credit on his phone and I have to finish the call on mine. Steve is 20 minutes away so we decide to wait for him. Steve and Co arrived around 09:30, they all did a quick change and we are off to Aunchy-Les-Mines for the ceremony. We took our time and arrived about 11:15. Too our surprise we where one of the first to arrive.

The Hotel

We mill around for a few minutes, then decide to walk up to the Redoubt. Looking at the picture to the left, the Redoubt can be seen as the ridge running from left to right just above our heads.

At the redoubt we met the Khaki Chums (The association for military remembrance) after talking and looking at their kit we returned  for the Dedication Service.

The Redoubt

Front row second and third from right is the Mayor Jean Luc Gloriant and the owner of the land Michel Dedourge mingle with the Grimsby Association.

About The Memorial

The memorial is situated in the corner of a field (on 46 square metres of land), kindly donated by a local farmer Michel Dedourge. The memorial takes the form of an octagonal broken column 46 inches high it is constructed of Portland stone with two tiers of steps forming the base, 46 inches overall width. These dimensions are entirely symbolic, in that the 46^th (North Midland) Division (TF) was the sole British Army division involved in the attack on the Redoubt on Wednesday 13^th of October 1915. On private memorials a broken column signifies the loss of the head of the family, but in this instance it represents the loss of an army column. The angle of cut off at the top of the column again is a figurative 46 degrees. The pitch line of the steps is also 46 degrees.

 

The main sponsors of the project, Lincolnshire Co-operative Limited, carried out the construction of the memorial employing their own monumental masons. Each facet of the octagon carries a gun metal plaque giving details of the British Regiments and Corps involved together with representative cap badges. The battlefield map (not shown in pictures, to be fitted later) also cast in gun metal and fixed to the top of the column, has bi-lingual inscriptions outlining the attack, researched by Lyndon Jenkins, and an evocative and poignant couplet penned by Kevin Martin. The plaques have been manufactured by Taylors Eayre & Smith Limited (formerly John Taylor (Bellfounders) of Loughborough, Leicestershire, who cast countless memorial bells and plaques in churches throughout Great Britain after the Great War, in honour of the fallen.

 

The inscription “THEIR COUNTRY FOUND THEM READY”, which is carved on the top step of the Memorial, and chosen by Martin Middlebrook, are from the popular war-time song “Keep the home fires burning” composed by Ivor Novello in 1915.

 

The design of the Memorial has been acclaimed by numerous organisations and individuals as being a fitting and dignified tribute to the fallen and equally applauded for the sensitive choice of materials which complement the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s memorials and cemeteries throughout the Western Front.

The Service

We were welcomed by Michael Credland (From the friends of the Hohenzollern Redoubt). Then the address by Martin Middlebrook (Author of The North Midlands Territorials Go To War).

Greetings from the local Mayor was next, Jean Luc Gloriant (in French of course). After all the hot air by the dignitaries we started the service with the Last Post and two minutes silence.

The Exhortation (Act Of Remembrance) was given by Lyndon Jenkins again from (The friends of the Hohenzollern Redoubt), followed by Reveille.

The Unveiling came next by Her Majesty’s Consul-General Tim Jones.

The Dedication was given by Revd. Canon Ray Jones from St Georges Church in Ypres, followed by a couple of  hymns.

It then came to the wreath laying, Regiments first, John Robinson laying ours on behalf of the Lincolnshire Regiment, and of course taking pride of place at the top of the plinth..

The last part of the ceremony was the  French and English national anthems

We where then kindly asked by the locals if we would like to go back to the towns hospitality suite, today being the local sports centre, we of course agreed. A pleasant five minutes walk up the road and we were there. It was nice to get in out of the 22 degree heat, that we had been in for so long. I was asked if I would like a drink, I of course replied, yes please, quite a choice at that. Bottles of beer (different types) champers, wine, orange juice and loads and loads of yellow cake, witch every time I looked up someone was offering me a piece.

After a few beers and a chat with the locals as well as with members from other branches it was time to go.

The Casualties & More Pictures