Loughbrickland RBL join pilgrimage of Rememberance

The wreath local RBL members will lay at the Great Pilgrimage 90 (GP90) remembrance event.

The Royal British Legion event, known as Great Pilgrimage 90 (GP90), takes place between August 5 and 9 and will be one of the largest in the charity’s history. Local Legion members, Alan Mckee and Fred Cairns will represent the Loughbrickland Branch and the local community at the event, as Standard Bearer and wreath layer

respectively.

Alan and Fred will tour some of the same battlefields and cemeteries visited by those on the 1928 Pilgrimage, before marching along the original route through Ypres, to the Menin Gate on August 8 bearing their branch standard and a wreath. They will join more than 2,200 other Legion representatives and dignitaries, including Civic and military guests from the UK, Commonwealth and Northern Europe who are taking part.

Once at the Menin Gate, Fred will lay a wreath on behalf of the Loughbrickland community.

Fred Cairns of the Loughbrickland Branch of The Royal British Legion explained: “Great Pilgrimage 90 is a unique opportunity for the Legion community to come together and bear our Standards along the same route in Ypres taken 90 years earlier by the veterans and widows of the First World War. The Loughbrickland Branch looks forward to proudly representing Loughbrickland area at the event.”

As local champions of Remembrance, the Loughbrickland Branch of The Royal British Legion is looking to work in partnership with their community to bring their unique Remembrance message to the Menin Gate, on their wreath, where it will be displayed in a wreath installation for viewing by the general public until the end of August. Two schools Scarva Primary and Bronte Primary have written messages that will be attached to the wreath

The parade will start at midday and we encourage the public to make the trip across to Ypres for the August 8 and fill the Market Square to watch the parade, One Hundred Days ceremony and then enjoy an afternoon of musical entertainment including The Central Band of the Royal British Legion.

If you want to find out more about GP90 or your local Royal British Legion branch, then visit www. britishlegion.org.uk/branches/loughbrickland or contact [email protected]