“I am honoured to attend this service and support the Royal British Legion in commemorating all those that died in these two significant First World War battles.”
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From 7am to 7pm the volunteers took to the streets in historically accurate uniforms from 15 regiments, to remind those nearby of the 19,240 men who were killed on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
The Very Reverend Rogers Govender, Dean of Manchester, said Manchester had “made a pledge never to forget the myriad number of people who responded to the battle call, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice that empowers and inspires us still to this present day”.
“I think it gives us an opportunity, looking at a memorial like this, to reflect on how fortunate we are, today”.
Another volunteer, 22-year-old James Gebbie, from North Shields, said he had been looking forward to getting into costume on the day.
A piece of music specially commissioned to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme will be performed in Derry tonight.
Hundreds of young men in period costume could be seen across the United Kingdom handing out cards with the details of a different soldier who died on this day 100 years ago as part of a living memorial project in tribute to victims of the Somme.
All the volunteers, who rehearsed for a month for a project that was kept hush hush until July 1, were aged between 16 and 49, reflecting the ages of the men who fought on the Somme.
Men and women dressed as World War I (WWI) soldiers load a cannon as they take part in a memorial ceremony at the Franco-British National Memorial in Thiepval near Albert, during the commemorations to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme, northern France, July 1, 2016.
Almost one hundred men, led by Theatre Royal Plymouth, were part of a UK-wide event as a modern memorial to mark the centenary of the battle.
It’s the 100-year anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and people across the country paid homage.
Three World War I aircraft – one French, one British, one German – will fly over the cemetery to close the ceremony.
As Jenny Waldman remarked on the BBC this evening, the project is essentially “a modern memorial – one that comes to people”.
No one immediately took responsibility for the action as images of the soldiers were shared on social media with the hashtag #wearehere.
At London’s Waterloo train station, the actors handed out cards bearing the name, age, rank and military unit of the slain soldier they represented.
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14-18 NOW commissions new work by leading contemporary artists from all art forms, inspired by the period 1914-1918.
