On behalf of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment I would like to invite you to the Annual Memorial Service for the “Accrington Pals”.

The service to be held at St John’s with St Augustine’s Church in Accrington on Sunday, February 19, commemorates the events, which took place 108 years ago, when the Pals Battalion held their Valedictory Service. The Pals then left their hometowns on February 23, 1915, eventually journeying to The Somme where on July 1, 1916, the majority of the Battalion was injured or killed in action.

We are hoping to involve as many relatives as possible of Pals in the service and so please can you let me know, if this relates to you, and that you would like to be involved. We would also like to look to the future and if you have a young person with connections to the Pals and they would like to be involved or a group of young people, then again, please let me know.

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.There is disabled access to church via the vestry and this is signposted from Dowry Street.

There will be refreshments served after the service, in the school hall. I would be grateful if standard bearers could let me know of their intention to parade.

I hope you will be able to attend our memorial service to the “The Accrington Pals” and all who served from our area.

I close this invitation by reminding you of the motto of The East Lancashire Regiment,

Spectumur Agendo – “Judge us by our deeds”

Shelley Whitehead

shelleyw67@hotmail.co.uk