Inspired by the Somme centenary, Dereham Branch’s Liam Young, 30, a veteran of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, joined fellow members on a trip to the battlefields of the First World War.
I first met my 40 travel companions at the Victory Services Club in London, when we set off on a coach to the battlefields of the First World War.
The four-day tour was organised like clockwork by RBL’s Remembrance Travel team, and included visits to numerous cemeteries and attendance at the Battle’s End service at Thiepval, which marked the final day of the Battle of the Somme.
Family history
These wonderful RBL members have dedicated a significant amount of their time to researching men from Seaham (their hometown too) and the local area who served their country during the First World War.
They shared their findings with me and explained how to research my family’s connections to the war further – using resources such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s website – and showed me a list of men from Seaham who have no known grave and are therefore on the wall at Thiepval.
Knowing where these people had served and ultimately died for their country, and the fact that, 100 years ago, they lived on the streets I grew up on… that was a really emotional moment for me.
Become a memberMembers share a real sense of comradeship and a willingness to work togetherLiam YoungVeteran and RBL member
Kath and John’s readiness to give up their time to share what they’d found with me sums up what being a member of RBL is all about.
Members share a real sense of comradeship and a willingness to work together – even though they now live in a different community in a different country.
Regiment connections
As we approached the end of the stop at Delville Wood Cemetery, I looked at my watch and a wave of emotion came over me because I knew that I couldn’t achieve my aim.
It just came over me – this massive amount of grief – and I had to stop myself from crying.
This occurred again when I saw the grave of a young Royal Norfolk lad who was just 17 years old when he died.
I photographed his grave and then, looking at the picture, thought of myself at that age, learning to drive a tank in Bovington.
This guy was sat in a trench, far from home, waiting to go over the top. It completely opened my eyes to the reason why people go to these sites and what it means to them.
Everyone on the coach had come on the trip for different reasons – some had family or community ties, like me, while others I spoke to had no connections whatsoever – they just felt that they should come and do it – but we were all there essentially for the same purpose: Remembrance.
You don’t need to have been in the Armed Forces to feel like this, and that’s something I tell people whenever I’m helping with the Poppy Appeal.
Remembrance, and RBL on the whole, is more than just a club for veterans – it’s for people who have a shared interest and shared values.
Emotional rollercoaster
I went with an open mind, and came away with a lot more knowledge, but at the same time a lot more emotional memories because of doing things that I didn’t expect I would – such as meeting Kath and John.
You get an enormous sense of scale just being there. I’ve read books, I’ve watched documentaries, but I’ve come away from the trip having learnt a lot more. It’s something I’ll never forget.
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