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Hopes to help West Norfolk relatives honour the Fallen overseas




A West Norfolk branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) is offering to lay small personal symbols on behalf of relatives of the Fallen buried overseas.

Members of the Lynn branch of the RBL are due to visit the battlefields of the First World War during the GP90 pilgrimage.

Dedication of Standard of King's Lynn Royal British Legion. At King's Lynn Tower Gardens.. (2687024)
Dedication of Standard of King's Lynn Royal British Legion. At King's Lynn Tower Gardens.. (2687024)

Branch member Karin Hipkin said: “We as representatives of the King’s Lynn district Royal British Legion branch will be representing the people of King’s Lynn by saying thank you to the generation that laid down their lives in the First World War.”

The GP90 pilgrimage will replicate the Great Pilgrimage of 1928, which saw veterans and war widows visit the battlefield of the Somme and Ypres before marching to the Menin Gate memorial a decade on from the end of the conflict.

The GP90 marks 90 years since the pilgrimage and is set to be the biggest membership event in the RBL’s history.

The event, which starts on August 5, will culminate with a parade on August 8 when 1,150 RBL standards will march under the Menin Gate to honour the 55,000 names on the memorial of the Fallen whose graves are unknown, including those from Lynn.

During their time overseas, the representatives of Lynn’s RBL will visit cemeteries and lay poppy wreaths and crosses at the memorials on behalf of the town.

“If anyone in our local community has relatives buried in Belgium or France, we are willing to take any small personal symbols if asked to lay on their behalf,” Mrs Hipkin added.

Any personal symbols can be taken to Violets florists in Lynn, where remembrance crosses can also be collected from.

“A wreath will be laid from King’s Lynn to those named above and around us as we march through to honour their sacrifice 100 years ago and to say a very solemn thank you,” Mrs Hipkin said.

At the weekend, members of the Lynn branch of RBL came together for the dedication of their standard.

The standard was marched to Tower Gardens in Lynn for a short service of remembrance, followed by a ceremony at All Saints Church where the new standard was dedicated and blessed.

A number of events, including a evening of music, organised by the branch’s committee on Saturday also celebrated 96 years since the branch first formed.



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