A tour which will follow in the footsteps of Hertfordshire soliders who were presented with the Victoria Cross (VC) will commence next month.
Herts at War and Stevenage based company Honours Ltd are working together to form a battlefield tour to the Western Front.
During the First World War only 633 Victoria Crosses were awarded to soldiers, despite more than 8.7 million troops being from Britain and the Commonwealth.
Battle Honours Ltd alongside Herts at War plan to bring to life the forgotten stories of Hertfordshire’s servicemen.
The tour will follow the stories of Second Lieutenant Frank Young from Hitchin, who was awarded his cross in 1918, after his death, also being remembered will be Corporal Alfred Burt VC from Hertford.
The tour will uncover Corporal Burt’s role in the battle at Cuinchy Brickstacks in 1915.
Another solider to be remembered will be Captain Arthur Martin-Leake VC and Bar, who was one of only three men in the world who were awarded the double Victoria Cross, and several other men from the Hertfordshire Regiment who were rewarded with the Victoria Cross.
The Herts for Valour tour will start on July 11 and conclude on July 13 and is limited to only 30 spaces.
Kevin Brazier and Clive Harris are the designated tour guides; they are both published authors and internationally acclaimed battlefield guides.
Day one will consist of travelling to France and a visit to Cuinchy, north of the battlefield at Loos, to find out about Corporal Burt.
Day two will be a visit to the Somme, to focus on the stories of numerous Victoria Cross heroes from Hertfordshire or in the Hertfordshire Regiment, affectionately referred to as the ‘Herts Guard’.
The final day of the tour will consist of a visit to Haverincourt near Cambrai, where the story of Lt. Frank Young will come to life. Before returning to England the tour will visit Hermies Hill Cemetery, where Young is buried.
Interested individuals and groups can find out more at www.hertsatwar.co.uk/hertsforvalour or at www.battle-honours.eu
Or call Battle Honours Ltd on 01438 791020.
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