Lest We Forget
As a small way of addressing the loss felt by so many families all over Great Britain and Ireland, cenotaphs and memorials were erected in towns and cities to honour the brave men who gave their all. While these are indeed fitting tributes and well respected by the communities who live around them, for those involved in the work of the Kilmarnock Somme Association none are more compelling than those raised on the battle fields of France to commemorate the immortal memory of the dead volunteers of the 36th (Ulster) Division.
A fitting tribute to the fallen, the Ulster Tower was raised specifically as a memorial to the soldiers of the 36th (Ulster) Division who fought at the Somme and throughout the First World War. It is a very close copy of Helen's Tower which stands in the grounds of the Clandeboye Estate which is located East of Belfast and near Newtownards and the town of Bangor. As you can see from these pictures it is indeed a close replica which was chosen since the men of the division trained under the shadow of this tower before they were moved to England for the final preparations for the trip to France.
It stands just behind the original German lines at the site of the notorious Schwaben Redoubt. It was mostly built by donations from the general public and was officially opened on 19th November, 1921 - almost five years to the day after the official end to the Battle of the Somme. Lord Carson himself unveiled a memorial plaque that day which is on display inside the tower.
Theipval wood has been allowed to grow back since the dark days of the Somme and its trees now surround the site of the tower. Near the entrance to the tower stands a memorial stone bearing the names of the nine members of the Division who were awarded the Victoria Cross during the Great War. In the grounds to the rear of the tower stands the Orange stone, a memorial erected to commemorate the members of the Orange Order who died in action as part of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Not far away from the tower a number of the 5,500 fallen are buried in the nearby Connaught Cemetery.
By far the saddest memorial in our opinion is the massive Theipval monument. Its arches soar skyward in what is a striking image against the sky-line of that sombre valley. Sadly it had to be big for it stands in memory of those whose bodies were never recovered. Many fallen Ulstermen can be found in the names engraved on the monument. Just over 72,000 names of British soldiers are carved in the stone which is a stark reminder of the number who have no known grave.
The shocking truth is that just over 600 British and French bodies were all that were recovered from the killing fields of France. This visually impressive monument was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1927, who also designed New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Prince Charles's predecessor as Prince of Wales the future Edward VIII, who himself served as an officer in the battle of the Somme.
As a mark of respect, we now conclude by repeating the full words of the famous poem that for some reason only a few lines are ever repeated :-
'For The Fallen' by Laurence Robert Binyon, 1869-1943
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
Lest we forget - we, the members of the Kilmarnock Somme Association, shall and will always remember them.