Bolton will be honouring its war heroes this month with a special event in the town’s Queen’s Park.
Saturday, October 26 marks the start of the second Battle of Passchendaele in WW1.
This was a continuation of a catastrophic struggle that began on July 31 and ended on November 6, 1917.
It was the third and longest battle in the Belgian city of Ypres and became a symbol of the senseless slaughter of troops on both sides.
The armies under British command suffered around 275,000 casualties and the Germans around 260,000.
The Canadians, who joined the battle in the final phase and took Passchendaele, lost more than 15,000 soldiers.
The names of more than 1,000 Bolton soldiers who gave their lives during WW1 are immortalised on the monument in Queen’s Park.
Bolton United Services Veterans Association has been holding a short service there annually to commemorate the officers and men of the 5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (the Bolton Rifles).
On October 26, 1917, the Bolton Rifles had 120 men killed and many more wounded at Passchendaele.
These included Private Robert Kay, awarded the Military Medal for his bravery.
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Two of his brothers, Charles and Nathan, had been killed earlier in the war.
The service at 10.55am at the Queen’s Park memorial is supported and has been organised by Bolton Council and will have a strong military presence.
Among civic leaders attending will be the Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Andy Morgan, who spent six years in the Armed Forces.
The whole event originated with local man Charles Sandbach whose tireless work has shone a light on many WW1 heroes around the country.
Six months ago, he co-created the James Garnett Foundation, named after a Bolton man who fought bravely on the Western Front but died in poverty.
Since then, the Foundation has repatriated medals to communities across the UK, gaining the support of local councils and bringing inspiring stories to new generations.
In the week leading up to the Bolton event, Charles and other Foundation members will be in Belgium and France laying wreaths at the Menin Gate and the Loos Memorial.
He and colleagues will also be filming a documentary to include amongst others three Bolton men who served – Edward Barton and George Ibbotson whose bodies were never found, and Robert Kay, a hero of Passchendaele.
Later in the day on October 26 at 1.30pm, Charles and Foundation chairman Major Martin Smith VR (retired) will also be giving a special talk and display in the Lecture Theatre in Bolton Library.
The service and talk are both free to attend and all are welcome.
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