Visit to Ypres for the Armistice Ceremony 11th November 2007
8 members of the East Lancashire Medal and Militaria Society attended the Armistice Day ceremony at the Menin Gate on 11th November where they laid a wreath on behalf of the Burnley Branch of the Royal Legion. This year it was especially poignant because November 10th was the 90th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Passchendaele in which 250 Burnley men lost their lives.

The Dundee Boys Brigade Pipe Band also took part in the spectacular parade for the 10th year running. This band are old friends of the Burnley group and provided a memorable evenings entertainment for them initially at the Royal British Legion Club and later at several local hostelries

The group visited many local cemeteries and were treated to an interesting tour of the “Plugstreet” area by Ted Smith the well known author and guide who pointed many important sites including those where Winston Churchill served as a battalion commander.
Wreath laid at the Menin Gate on the 11th of November on behalf of the British Legion Burnley and Padiham branch
Members of the Dundee Boys Brigade Pipe Band

Solitary piper in Flanders fields.

Many Burnley soldiers were of Scottish descent and would be very familiar with the haunting sound of the pipes

Tenor drummer Grant in action.

Grant was to demonstrate as the night went on that he was equally adept at playing in either a vertical or horizontal position
Snare Drummer Kirk going through his paces watched by members of the Burnley group

The Burnley group in Flanders fields

Left to right Pete Wilshaw, Andrew Gill, Andrew Mackay, Dave Drury and Burnleys' adopted son Dave (Burnley) Fernley

Warren Smyth of Brokley, Bristol next to the grave of his relative Tom Wilkinson which he found with a little help from the Burnley group.

Another trip, more friends made, from the utter misery of the times the first world war now brings people together in the fields and "estaminets"

I hope they would approve