2nd Bn Liverpool Scottish

[Ian Riley]

A memorial to the members of the 2nd Battalion of The Liverpool Scottish, officially 2/10th (Scottish) Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) TF was unveiled 1 km SE of Bois Grenier, at the northern end of the Old Bridoux Road, on Sunday 5th June 2005 by Colonel Alan Waterworth, President of the Liverpool Scottish Officers' Association and Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside. The battalion had served there in 1917 as part of the 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division.The site was chosen as being near to the start line of the battalion's Dicky's Dash daylight trench raid of 29th June 1917, commanded by Captain Alan Dickinson. The raid was launched from the Bridoux Salient.

Some of the background to this raid can be found at www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk and locating the Erquinghem/Bois Grenier item on the menu. The Secretary of the Museum would be pleased to respond to any queries about the raid and has the commentary used for the battlefield walk; it is intended to place further information on the website

Approximately 20 serving soldiers of the Liverpool Scottish were present with a small pipe band and about 100 other old comrades and friends from the UK. Present throughout were representatives of three families that had served in the area with the Liverpool Scottish during WW1, the Ross, Dickinson and Riley families. Members of all three of those families, still associated with the Liverpool Scottish Museum trust today, had visited the site of the raid and researched the action over the past three years. There was a substantial representation from the local French population. Previously the Liverpool Scottish party had marched through Erquinghem Lys, the HQ town of the 2nd Battalion during 1917 were over 40 of their soldiers are buried in the Erquinghem Churchyard Extension CWG Cemetery. A service was led by the Rev Harry Ross in the cemetery where wreaths were laid and crosses of remembrance were placed at each of the Liverpool Scottish graves.

The local community participated fully both in Bois Grenier and in Erquinghem Lys, where M. Jack Thorpe (a Frenchman with an English father) was a prime mover in the memorial project and responsible for the Erquinghem-Lys Museum (near the church) that was opened during the weekend by Colonel Waterworth. Photographs and video of the ceremonies can be seen at

http://www.erquinghem-lys.com/france/assoc/hlocale/cairn.php

The Liverpool Scottish party later took part in a special Last post at the Menin Gate.

Any further queries to ilriley@liverpoolscottish.org.uk

[Simon Jones]

Bravo Ian

You seem to have sportingly removed yourself from any of the photographs.

Simon

[Blueblood]

Ian

Someone mentioned to me recently that this visit was mentioned in the Birmingham evening mail or Birmingham Post.

If anyone has a copy of this article about the Liverpool Scottish visit to France and Belgium could you contact Ian on the website he has given.

Anyone who has information about Bois Grenier and Erquinghem-Lys during WW1 please also get in touch with the Liverpool Scottish website and also use the Erquinghem-Lys website. www.erquinghem-lys.com

Thank you for your help.

Blueblood