EARLIER this month members of Tintern Church Lads and Church Girls Brigade (CLCGB) travelled to Albert in France to join up with other members from the UK as part of the Somme centenary commemorations.

On the 15th July 1916 the 16th Battalion of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, made up entirely of members and ex-members of the Church Lads Brigade, attacked the German stronghold of High Wood. Of a battalion of around 1000 men, at the end of their first engagement they had suffered 550 casualties, roughly half of those who had started in the morning. Of those casualties nine officers and 211 other ranks were killed.

Eight young members of the group took part in commemoration services at London Cemetery in High Wood. They then laid crosses at the graves of CLCGB members at Caterpillar Cemetery. On Saturday they attended a service at the Newfoundland memorial at Beaumont, Hamel, honouring the members of the CLCGB who travelled in the first contingent from Newfoundland.

They then took part in a service of remembrance at the Thiepval Memorial which was streamed live back to the National Memorial Arboretum and onto YouTube.

Some had the honour of laying wreaths at the memorials and Mathew Webb had the honour of carrying Tintern’s company colour at the Thiepval memorial.

For those young people involved it was a once in a life time experience.

In total some 20,000 members and ex-members are believed to have been killed in the First World War and probably as many again were wounded.

Over 1000 awards for bravery including 22 Victoria Crosses were made to ex members of the Church Lads Brigade.