A SERVICE was held in Wilmslow to commemorate the centenary of the deaths of 30 soldiers from the Wilmslow area who died at the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917.

Many of the young men who died in the battle were members of the Cheshire Regiment, which lost 124 soldiers on the July 31, and 885 during the battle, more widely known as Passchendaele.

The event, was organised at the town's war memorial, by Khumi Burton, the town's British Legion branch chairman and Poppy Appeal co-ordinator for the county's 25 towns.

Khumi said: "I was asked to help organise the event on behalf of Cheshire East Reflects.

"I have lived in Lacey Green for 40 years and even now there are only a few houses there, yet even that community was affected by the horror of this battle.

"The commemoration at the Wilmslow war memorial would not have been possible with the help of Martin Smith of Cheshire East and of Alan Cooper of Wilmslow Historical Society, who helped me gather so much information on those who died in that battle.

"What struck me most was that they came from all walks of life, with the the youngest Lance Corporal James, 19, a farm labourer from Finney Green and the eldest Captain Thomas Somerville, 37, an architect from Fulshaw Park."

A crowd of 200 people gathered to hear the tributes from The Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs and Bishop of Stockport Rt Rev Libby Lane, before Tatton MP Esther McVey read out the 30 names of those who died, and included the son of Brigadeer General Noel Lee of Chelford, who lost his 20-year-old son Noel during the battle.

Wreaths were also laid by Lord Grey of Codnor the Cheshire president of the Royal British Legion, by the Mayor of Cheshire East Cllr Arthur Moran and Wilmslow Town Council.

It also included a bugler playing The Last Post as the standard was lowered and a bowed head tribute by members of the British Legion's motorcycle riders group who had travelled from all over the country to be there.

Ian Mac, actor and artistic director of the Jude Theatre Company, performed a short monologue about life in the trenches at the ceremony. The singer Anna Meadmore also performed the famous 1914 Ivor Novello song Keep the Home Fires Burning.

Ms McVey said: “The commemoration service marking the centenary of Passchendaele truly was heart-warming as the local community came together to remember the fallen.

“The touching portrayal by an actor of a day in the trenches in 1917 brought to life the living hell of the soldiers, and a performance of one of the most popular First World War songs revealed the heartache of wives and mothers back home, making it an incredibly special and moving ceremony.”

The commemorative event is part of the council’s ‘Cheshire East Reflects’ four-year programme of remembrance of the sacrifice by the people of Cheshire East during the First World War.

Cheshire East will be marking a number of key anniversaries in the period up to November 11, 2018, when the centenary of the signing of the Armistice will be commemorated.