Sacrifice of the Somme remembered as pledge made to support Forces of today

THE region paid tribute to Britain’s servicemen and women, past and present, at the weekend with a series of events to mark Armed Forces Day.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Jul 2012, 07:00 BST

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Coun Dale Smith, attended a service at the memorial stone for the Bradford Pals yesterday – 96 years to the day since they suffered horrific casualties while attacking the village of Serre on the first morning of the Battle of the Somme.

By the end of the first hour more than 1,700 men from Bradford had been killed or wounded.

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Coun Smith said: “This commemoration service is always very important as it ensures we remember the sacrifices made by the Bradford Pals.”

Thousands gathered in Beverley yesterday for an event which saw the signing of the East Riding Community Covenant, which aims to recognise the sacrifice of service personnel and promote a better understanding and awareness of the issues they face.

An action plan is being drawn up to provide practical support in a range of areas, including health, employment, education, training, childcare, housing and personal finance.

The Archdeacon of Leeds led a service in Royal Armouries Square on Saturday, which was followed by a Veterans’ Parade at Clarence Dock during the Waterfront Festival weekend.

Related topics:BritainBradford