On 22nd July 2025, a re-dedication ceremony will be held in Bazentin, in the Somme region of France, to commemorate the restoration of two memorials. The first memorial is dedicated to Captain Houston Stewart Hamilton Wallace, of the 10th Worcester Regiment and the second one to Nine Brave Men of the 82nd Field Company, Royal Engineers. More information regarding the memorials can be found on the WFA web-page Private Memorials on the Western Front. Both memorials were severely deteriorated and damaged in the past few years. In 2023, Stephen Benson of the Cheshire Roll took the initiative to restore both monuments, in close cooperation with Michèl Admiraal, European Field Officer of the WFA. Supported by crowdfunding and donations, including the Cheshire Roll, WFA and Michèl himself, both monuments are now restored. The Wallace Houston memorial has had additional and substantial groundwork improvements; the Nine Brave men has been moved a few meters away from the road junction location to protect it from being damaged in future.
The ceremony will take place at 12.00 noon at the Houston Wallace memorial, to be followed by a ceremony at the Nine Brave Men memorial. The ceremony will be concluded with a reception at the town hall of Bazentin. Several British and French delegations will be present, including the Sous-Préfet of the Somme Region, the mayors of Bazentin and Albert, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regimental Association, The Birkenhead Branch of the WFA. Wreaths will also be placed on behalf of the Mayor of Birkenhead and the Lord Lieutenants of Merseyside and Cheshire.
Anyone interested is invited to participate in the ceremony .
For more information or donations, please contact Stephen Benson via stephen@cheshireroll.co.uk