Anzac/Gallipoli Day 2016 commemoration at Welford

WELFORD, LEICESTER

The Anzac/Gallipoli Day commemoration at the Leicester (Welford Road) Cemetery has not featured before in The Gallipolian and I am grateful to member Brian Roffee for bringing the service to our attention.   

During the First World War, the 5th Northern General Hospital occupied several buildings in Leicester and treated more than 95,000 officers and men and recorded 514 deaths of whom 286 were interred in the Welford Road Cemetery, more than half being buried in a war graves plot with their names recorded on a Screen Wall. 

The brief service began with a short address by Mr Roy Birch of the Western Front Association who reminded those present of the reason we were there. He then read out the names of 8 men, originally from Leicestershire, who emigrated to Australia or New Zealand and lost their lives during the Gallipoli campaign while serving with the Australian or New Zealand Forces. Although the men are all buried or commemorated on the peninsula we felt it fitting that they should be the focus of our commemoration as they came originally from our county. We also remembered two other Leicestershire men who lost their lives at Gallipoli serving with British regiments. 

The Last Post was sounded by a single bugler followed by the laying of wreaths on behalf of the Western Front Association, the Royal British Legion and Friends of Welford Road cemetery. Silence was then kept and prayers said for The Fallen. The service ended with the National Anthems.   With the onset of rain it was time to head inside the Visitor Centre for a welcome cup of tea and an Anzac Biscuit. 

Those Young men who's names were read out were:

  • Sgt J R Furnival, buried at Beach cemetery
  • Pte Joseph Launder, buried at Lone Pine.
  • Pte Alfred Spence, buried at Lone Pine.
  • Pte Clarence Arguille remembered on the Chunuk Bair Memorial.
  • Pte Neville Cadoux remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial.
  • Pte Edgar Henry Butler remembered at the Lone Pine Memorial.
  • Lt Thomas G N Screaton, buried at Twelve Tree Copse
  • Cpl Roland Harrison, remembered at Hill 60

Brian Roffee

The Gallipoli Association

Photograph Below: The New Zealand and Australian Memorial and CWGC Cemetery at Lone Pine