As part of the commemoration for the 100th anniversary of World War 1, the Isle of Cumbrae Royal British Legion Pipe Band will be returning the scene of some of the most intense fighting of the conflict.

The Legion will be taking part in various high profile remembrance events at Ypres in Belgium, and are asking ‘News’ readers for information on any memorials laid in memory of any local soldiers in Belgium and Northern France.

The Legion band, which has a strong membership in the Three Towns area, will be heading across the English Channel between 17-20 October to mark the centenary of the First Battle of Ypres and the Battle of La Bassee. Both of these battles were among the first major events of the Great War to involve Scots troops, and was sadly where some of the first Ayrshire deaths and casualties occurred.

While in Ypres, the band will play at the world famous ceremony at the Menin Gate, where every evening since 1928, the Last Post has been sounded in memory of the many thousands of soldiers who have died between 17th and 20th October 1914.

The band will also be visiting and playing at memorials in Le Touret, Armentieres and Messines.

The Isle of Cumbrae British Legion band last visited Belgium in August 2007 where they took part in the unveiling ceremony for a new monument in Zonnebeke, which was erected by the local council there to commemmorate the Scottish soldiers, and those of Scottish descent, who fought in Flanders and the Western Front.

As they did in 2007 the band would be pleased to hear from any lcocal families of organisations who would wish a memorial cross laid in memory of anyone known to them who are commemmorated at any of these, or other memorials. The band can be contacted at secretary@iocpb.org or phone Margaret Miller on 01294 467869.