COMMEMORATING THE SOMME AT THE SOMME NURSING HOME

The Somme Nursing Home in East Belfast was the appropriate focus of a ceremony to mark the 99th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, with Cadets from the 1st (Northern Ireland) Battalion Corps of Drums entertaining residents with a BeatingThe Retreat. 

The teenage Cadets learned more about the Somme Offensive of World War I, in which more than 1,000,000 men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history.  In particular they learned of the heavy losses suffered by 36th Division on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.  On that single day 1856 from the Division were killed; 213 were missing in action and 165 were taken prisoner.

During the visit by the cadets, Colonel Maurice Warnock, Commandant 2nd (NI) Battalion Army Cadet Force, presented a cheque for £3,000 to the Somme Nursing Home – money which had been raised by all of the cadet detachments within the Battalion through various fund-raising activities.

Colonel Warnock commended the cadets for their fund-raising efforts and also praised the members of the band on their musical performance and also on their eagerness to explore the past.  He said, “The schoolbooks may have been abandoned during the summer holidays, but the appetite for learning clearly isn’t diminished.  Our Cadets welcomed the opportunity to find out more about this bleak period of our history and were keenly aware that many of the young men who fought at the Battle of the Somme were of similar age and background to
themselves. 

“While much of Cadet life is about having fun together in sporting and outdoor pursuits challenges, we are also committed to helping Cadets grow and mature by deepening their understanding of history.   Events such as this support that ambition and next year many of our Cadets will also be involved in commemorations and battlefield tours marking the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.”

Above: Members of the 1st (Northern Ireland) Battalion Corps of Drums, based in Ballymena.

Above: Pictured at the ceremony are (from left) Colonel Mervyn Elder, Chairman of the Board of the Somme Nursing Home; Richard Jay and Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for the City of Belfast; Colonel Hubert McAllister, Honorary Colonel of 2nd Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment and Colonel Maurice Warnock.

Above:  Colonel Warnock (left) is pictured presenting Colonel Elder with a cheque for £3,000 for the Somme Nursing Home: money raised by local Cadets.