THE MAYOR of Leamington has paid tribute to the Warwickshire men who died in the First World War.
Amanda Stevens took part in the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres, placing a wreath displaying the badge of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and reciting the famous words from the Exhortation by Laurence Binyon which ends ‘We will remember them’.
She was part of a group of Warwickshire residents – led by historian and author Alan Reed – who visited battle sites and memorials in France and Belgium.
The Menin Gate is inscribed with the names of 54,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Ypres area during the Great War but have no known grave.
And every evening at eight o’clock buglers – who are fully-trained firefighters who volunteer for the additional service – sound the Last Post underneath it.
Coun Stevens said: “It was extremely moving to have the privilege of taking part in the Last Post ceremony. Visiting the Menin Gate and the other memorials brings home to you the scale of the losses suffered and the sacrifice made by the soldiers and their families. Everyone is very grateful to Alan for leading the group and making all the arrangements at Ypres”.
Before the she made the trip to Belgium, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service had held a special commemoration at Leamington fire station to mark the 30,000th sounding of the Last Post by their colleagues at Ypres.
