Page 54 - Bugle Spring 2025

NORTH
NEWS FROM DURHAM
Bus Les Artois and Somme Battlefield Tour 2024
A DLI Association party returned to Flanders
in France in June 24.
From their base in Auchonvillers a busy four
day’s trip to the Somme battlefields of WW1
were visited including the French National
Cemetery of Notre Dame de Lorette where the
Basilica and Lantern Tower watch over the
42,000 French graves and 580,000 names of
all nations who fell in the battles of Nord-pas-
de-Calais between 1914-1918. This was followed
by a visit to Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial to
the 66,000 Canadian soldiers who died.
From the Memorial we could see the twin
slag heaps of Loos which was used by the
Germans to observe and snipe on the Allies
during the battle. We then went on to see the
trenches occupied by the Leeds, Bradford and
Durham PAL’s Bn’s on 1 July 1916, followed by
the Munich CWGC cemetery where so many
Yorkshire regiments were decimated. Thiepval
Memorial was next and a quick clean-up of
our Memorial seat to the 18th County Durham
PAL’s Bn.
This was followed by a visit to the Australian
WW1 Memorial at Poziere in memory of the
23,000 Australian casualties including 6,700
who were killed. The must-see Lochnagar
Crater was next where 24,500 kg’s of
explosives went up at 0728 hrs to signify the
start of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916.
From The 2023 Visit To The Somme
By The DLI Cleaning Party
REUNION SUNDAY
The Parade took place in the cloisters of the
Cathedral, due to the weather conditions.
Standards of the Assn were on parade and
wreaths were laid at the DLI Memorial. In
the DLI Chapel names of The Fallen were
read out, followed by a reunion lunch at The
Woodman Inn, where The Band and Bugles
of the Durham ACF gave a concert playing
many of the calls everyone knows so well.
Several former Officers of the Regt were
present from the South of England, including
Tim Kirk and Maj Michael Bond.
The Lord Lieutenant, Brigadier
MacGregor-Oakford, Col Hopper
and Maj Lawton salute in the DLI
Memorial Garden
Branch Standards await
arrival of the Lord Lieutenant.
Members of The Faithful Inkerman
Dinner Club attend their Annual Dinner
held at Gilesgate Armoury Durham.
The Faithful Inkerman Dinner Club Dinner
“The Faithful” Inkerman Dinner Club Dinner on the Friday closest to Inkerman Day, was held at the Dubmire RBL
Club, Fence Houses. Accompanying a good meal and good company, a fine table of raffle prizes was on display
of which the Chief Raffle Prize was donated by Morrisons. The Chairman read the names of ‘The Fallen’ and spoke
the words of the Clackmannan Grace.
REGIMENTAL
REUNION 2024
The Officer’s Black Tie
Dinner – 7 September 2024
This year’s successful event was
held at The Marriott Hotel in Durham.
Maj Chris Lawton MBE DL Treasurer
of the DLI Assn and former Officers
of The DLI, including Brigadier Bob
MacGregor-Oakford CBE MC, were
accompanied by The Lord Lieutenant
of Durham, Mrs Sue Snowdon,
The Mayor and Mayor’s Consort
of Durham, Cllr Mrs Liz Brown and
Mr Jonathan Brown, and The Rifles
Regimental Secretary North, Mrs Jo
Jackson-Wyatt.
54 RIFLES The Bugle