Mark Hone's school trip hits the headlines

[John_Hartley]

Spotted this on the "local" bit of the BBC

Clickety click

[marina]

Well done, Mark.

Marina

[Guest tafski]

hi pals

here is my contribution to remembering the somme 90th

www.southwalesargus.co.uk

even managed to get the forum shirt on

bruce

[marina]

Good article, Taf, nice teeshirt too. But no badges?

Marina

[Jim Clay]

Well spotted, John!

Nice one, Mark and pupils.

Good on ya, Bruce - but, like Marina says, - NO BADGES??

Jim

[Roxy]

Well done Mark; nice photo of your cadet.

I missed the SWArgus bit, unless you are a newly retired police dog

Roxy

[Jim Clay]

Well done Mark; nice photo of your cadet.

I missed the SWArgus bit, unless you are a newly retired police dog

Roxy

Roxy

Click on News in the left hand menu - more news items magically appear!

Jim

[Chris_Baker]

Taf's article is now at http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/search/di...f_the_somme.php

[PhilB]

Spotted this on the "local" bit of the BBC

Clickety click

Further on in that piece there`s a scathing WW1 letter to the press. Phil B

[Guest tafski]

Well spotted, John!

Nice one, Mark and pupils.

Good on ya, Bruce - but, like Marina says, - NO BADGES??

Jim

well pals was waiting fer that one

had to be dragged out a bed washed changed and set this up all before i was awake

will rectify at the somme concert and will post more pics

cheers all you eagle eyed pals

have smaked me own wrist fer this

bruce

[Roxy]

Found Tafski's bit - thanks Chris.

Sir Edward certainly had a point to make!

Roxy

[stiletto_33853]

Good for you Mark and Bruce.

Liked Sir Edward's letter as this I have come across many times as to the staff job. One officers book says "The sharp division between the staff and the front line troops was very bad for morale. The troops felt that they were left to bear the whole burden themselves and that nobody really cared what became of them. This may have been an unfair view. I am not the person to pass judgement as my views are definetely prejudiced. But, fair or unfair, it existed and the troops cannot be blamed for holding it. The staff brought it on themselves.

I, myself, was once offered a staff job but turned it down, against the advice of my C.O. who pressed me to take it."

"I shared the common irreverance towards the staff."

Andy

[Bernard_Lewis]

Mark Hone is quoted in the Times today.

Bernard

[PhilB]

Thank the Lord it was forum member Mark Hone they quoted and not forum member ....Well, you know! Phil B

[Ozzie]

Well done to all.

Cheers

Kim

[Guest tafski]

tafski with edwina hart welsh assembley goverment and local MP Paul Murphy at the somme concert

MARINA see i DO have my badges on they diddnt as they dont carry cash

[Mark Hone]

Hello, everyone, just got back from the Somme despite endless traffic delays and poor driving conditions. I took a small group of battlefield tour 'veterans', mostly cadets. Myself and Harry Shuell, whose great-great-uncle was killed at La Boisselle on July 4th, went a bit earlier courtesy of ITV news who filmed him at Thiepval on Thursday. Some of you may have seen it on the ITV evening news that day. On Friday we did a tour, including our 'Maricourt to Montauban: All On a Summer's Day' walk in honour of the 3 old boys (and one relative of a party member) who died with the Manchester Pals on 1st July. The media caught up with us at LaBoisselle, where Harry laid a wreath on the 19th Division memorial, close to the spot where his g-g uncle was killed leading a bombing party. The Fourth Estate representatives were all very pleasant I must say, although I'm afraid I'm (inevitably) misquoted on the BBC site. The school had 165 pupils on roll in 1914. 97 old boys died in the Great War. I pointed out that this was therefore a significant proportion of the pupils who had been through the school doors in the previous 15-20 years, but the finer points, and the numbers, got a bit lost in translation!

We didn't make it to Lochnagar, unfortunately, but were at Thiepval. Three of the cadets read poems in the 'preliminary' service, and we did various guard of honour, crowd control and admin duties during the proceedings. Two of the lads ended up pushing Henry Allingham's wheelchair and holding an umbrella for him, which was a fantastic experience for them. The heat was ferocious and several people in the crowd , and among the participants collapsed. One of the senior cadets had to take charge of an RBL banner during the Last Post when the standard bearer was overcome and had to sit down.

We were delighted to meet several Baker Pals over the weekend, including Rob Gray (B and B hotel great!), 'Uncle Bill' and Mandy (Ypres1418)

[marina]

tafski with edwina hart welsh assembley goverment and local MP Paul Murphy at the somme concert

MARINA see i DO have my badges on they diddnt as they dont carry cash

LOVE those badges ...if only they could be bought by the genral public...

Marina

[Mark Hone]

Bury Grammar School wreath at Montauban, 30th June 2006.

About 15 former pupils of the school took part in the Manchester Pals' attack on the village;three were killed.

[Mark Hone]

On the site of Glatz Redoubt, with Montauban in the background, Hone explains the attack of the Manchester and Liverpool Pals of 21st Brigade on 1st July. Former Bury Grammar school pupil John Bott, of 19th Manchesters, died in the assault.

[Bernard_Lewis]

Mark - you're doing a fantastic job! Any more snaps?

Bernard

[Mark Hone]

90 years after their forebears, a present-day group of Bury Grammar School 'Pals' set out from 'Maricourt to Montauban : All on a Summer's Day'

[Mark Hone]

Reading the eyewitness account of the 19th Manchesters' advance by Private Albert Andrews on the line of the battalion's attack between Machine Gun Wood (in the background) and Talus Boise. It was getting pretty hot at this stage!

[John_Hartley]

Mark

In post 20, are you waving vaguely in the direction of The Warren (the German MG position)?

John

[Mark Hone]

Two of the lads locating the grave of Bury Grammar School old boy Private Herbert Howarth (21) , 17th Manchesters at Peronne Road Cemetery. Herbert was killed on 1st July, his brother Ernest, also a former pupil of our school, of 18th Manchesters, was killed 29 days later and is buried at Delville Wood.