The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Two members of the Holbeach branch of the Royal British Legion are to join thousands on a pilgrimage of remembrance in Belgium.
Rhys Midwinter and Michael Barter will take part in the Great Pilgrimage 90 (GP90), parade around World War One battlefields which culminates in a ceremony in Ypres.
The event marking the Hundred Days Offensive takes place from August 5 to 9 and will be one of the largest events in the charity’ has been involved with in its history.
GP90 will mark 90 years since the original Royal British Legion Pilgrimage, which saw 11,000 WWI veterans and war widows visit the battlefields of the Somme in France and Ypres a decade after the conflict ended.
Holbeach Legion members Rhys and Michael will represent the branch and the local community at this year’s event among thousands of dignitaries, as standard bearer and wreath-layer respectively.
They will join 2,200 others in touring some of the battlefields and cemeteries visited by those on the 1928 Pilgrimage, before marching along the original route through Ypres to the Menin Gate on August 8.
There Michael will lay a wreath emblazoned with a unique message on behalf of the Holbeach community.
It will be on display until the end of August.
Holbeach branch Chairman Doreen Green said: “GP90 is a unique opportunity for the Legion community to come together and bear our Standards along the route in Ypres taken 90 years ago by the veterans and widows of the First World War.
“We greatly appreciate the financial support of local donors towards the cost of Rhys and Michael’s trip, and look forward to proudly representing the whole area at the event.”
If you would like to find out more about GP90 or the Holbeach branch, please contact rblholbeach@gmail.com
