Hunt for relatives of WW1 soldiers from the Battle of Le Cateau Relatives of soldiers from the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) who fought at Le Cateau are being sought to commemorate the battle – one of the earliest in the First World War. The KOYLI Regimental Association is hosting a special commemoration event at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on the Tuesday 26 August and wants people who are descended from members of the KOYLI who fought at Le Cateau to join them. The special event will take place on the exact anniversary of the battle which took place in northern France close to the Belgian border. The Regiment fought gallantly and two Victoria Crosses were awarded for bravery during the battle. Following the battle in 1914, Sir Charles Fergusson, Commander of the Second Army Corps, praised the actions taken by the troops at Le Cateau. He said: “I was informed that two companies not only stuck to their trench and did not retire, even after they had expended all their ammunition, but charged the enemy with fixed bayonets. A more brilliant piece of work was not done during that action and if the battalion never did another thing, in this act they accomplished a task, not only an honour to our army but one which will rank high in the history of the world.” Anyone who knows they are a descendant of an officer or soldier in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry involved at Le Cateau and interested in attending the commemoration event, should contact the Chairman of the KOYLI Association on 01653 619000.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 11:03:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015