Chief Fire Officer Damian Smith visiting the grave of a relative on a previous trip to Ypres
The trip itself
In the late 1980s Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service together with a small number from Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service formed the first groups of firefighters to travel to Flanders to take part in the Remembrance Day parade. Later changes to the structure saw the first collaboration with Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service in 1990.
Our annual pilgrimage continues to grow and each year there is increased interest in our activities from both staff and friends. The party now numbers 50 with at least 35 marching in the Remembrance Day Parade. We also actively help members trace relatives and find battlefield locations where family members may have served.
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A visit to a trench system on a previous trip to Ypres |
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The three day trip has always consisted of two days of battlefield tours with an experienced local guide. Tony Debruene, a well known guide, took the group on all its tours for nearly 15 years until his untimely death in 2005. Tony was extremely well respected amongst the local people displaying a fantastic knowledge of the events around the town during the Great War.
More recently Annette Linthout has taken over this role and the two brigades continue to be guided by the best local guides that can be found.
Trip organisers:
Keith Holland - Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Arthur Jordan - Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
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