'Remembering the ‘Sheffield Pals’ - among the first battalions to ‘go over’' - Reader's letter
Elizabeth Birkby from Grenoside on a truly moving trip to pay respects to the ‘Sheffield Pals’...
A Civic party travelled from Sheffield to France last week to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July.
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The ‘Sheffield Pals’ were among the first battalions to ‘go over’ from the trenches and many were slaughtered in the first hour.
The Sheffield Memorial Park is land owned by our City Council where many of these lads are buried.
The long path up to the park is through fields bordered with poppies and as we approached the Memorial the Sheffield Pipe band were playing to greet us.
A beautiful and moving service was conducted by Rev. Dr. Richard Walton who spoke both in English and French.
The Lord Mayor, Cllr Andrew Sanger was among the first to lay a wreath on behalf of the City of Sheffield, together with the Military and French dignitaries.
After the service, a walk down to the beautifully tended cemetery showed us the names of many of the Sheffield lads, row upon row of courageous young men, and many with the epitaph ‘A soldier of the Great War’ and ‘Known unto God’.
It is heart rending to realise the sacrifice they made, and fitting they should still be honoured today.