A memorial stone dedicated to the Durham Pals is being unveiled at a ceremony in France last weekend.
The stone has been installed next to existing memorials to the Bradford Pals and Leeds Pals in the small hamlet of Bus-Les-Artois where the 18 DLI – known as the Durham Pals – were stationed in the lead up to the Battle of the Somme.
The DLI Pals were made up from all professions and many of the men were childhood friends who had grown up together in towns and villages across the county.
The official unveiling of the memorial stone will take place this Saturday evening during the village’s annual commemorative service and will be attended by Durham County Council Chairman Cllr John Lethbridge and 23 members of the DLI Association.
Cllr Lethbridge said: “It is extremely important to recognise the sacrifice of the Durham Pals and we are delighted that a permanent memorial has now been installed in an area the battalion had such strong links with.
“This weekend also marks 102 years since the beginning of the battle of the Somme and it is fitting that we take time to remember all of those who lost their lives fighting for our country.”
At 7.30am on 1 July 1916, 60,000 British soldiers climbed out of their trenches and began to move across No Man’s Land. Within one hour, over half of these men were dead or wounded – the greatest loss of life in a single day for Britain.
The Pals, as part of the 31st Division, were part of the attack at Serre, at the northern end of the Somme battlefield. By 5 July, the battalion that had gone into the trenches on 30 June almost 800 strong had suffered around 500 casualties, including 70 dead.
The cost of the stone, which was made in Durham before being shipped over to France, was paid for using the remaining funds from the 2016 Northern Echo public appeal, which culminated in the installation of two memorial benches – one on the Durham riverbanks and the other in Thiepval.
