Prince Charles and Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, are to attend commemorations in Dundee marking the centenary of the Battle of Loos, it’s been announced.
Tributes will be paid to the estimated 30,000 Scots who fought at Loos – 7,000 of whom died – during a service in Dundee’s City Square on Saturday September 26th 2015.
Britain’s Royal Family has a personal link with the battle, launched as part of an Allied offensive in Artois and Champagne in autumn 1915.
Prince Charles’ great uncle, Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon (brother of the late Queen Mother), died on the third day of fighting.
The Prince, who’s titled Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, will be accompanied in Dundee by his wife Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay.
More than 1,000 guests are expected to attend the City Square service at noon. A limited number of tickets will be available to the public. Hundreds of serving members of the armed forces and veterans will parade through the streets of Dundee beforehand.
Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said: “With around 30,000 Scots serving at Loos, its effect was felt throughout every village and town in Scotland. The weekend of national commemorations will be a fitting tribute to those that fought, those that died and those that were left at home.”
The inscription on Dundee’s War Memorial (Photo: Katharine Melville)
Veterans from The Black Watch, Scots Guards, Royal Scots, King’s Own Scottish Borderers, Queen’s Own Highlanders, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Gordon Highlanders and others will be on parade.
Alongside them will be serving regular and reserve personnel from the Royal Regiment of Scotland, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and local army units in Dundee. Music will be performed by Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Members of the public are invited to line the parade route and watch the service on a large screen in the High Street.
Kevin Gray, Chief Executive Officer of Legion Scotland, said veterans were honoured to be taking part in the tribute to those who fought at Loos: “Thousands of men from every corner of Scotland lost their lives in defence of our country at the battle.
“The events organised over the weekend provide us all with an opportunity to remember not only the fallen but all those men who returned home after the battle and whose lives were changed forever by the service to their country.”
The service and parade form part of a weekend of national commemorations in Dundee. More details can be found here in Centenary News. Members of the public wishing to attend the service in City Square should call 01382 434216 for details. Tickets must be collected by 5pm on Thursday September 24th.
Information about Loos centenary events taking place in France at Loos-en-Gohelle is available here.
Source: WW100 Scotland
Images courtesy of Katharine Melville
Posted by: Peter Alhadeff, Centenary News