To commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, Herts at War will be taking to the roads and cycling across the county telling the story of the men who fought on the Western Front.
As part of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission's (CWGC) Living Memory project, Herts at War will cycle more than 30 miles to visit CWGC cemeteries to tell the stories of those men who died during the bitter fighting on the Somme 100 years ago.
The event, on September 10, is free and the public are urged to sign up and take part in the one-day bike ride through the Hertfordshire countryside.
As a county, Hertfordshire contains 891 First World War burials in almost every town and village. There is even one Somme casualty buried in Hertfordshire - Lieutenant Colonel Carroll Charles McNamara, of the Royal Irish Rifles. He died aged 41, on July 16, 1916 from wounds sustained during the battle on July 1.
He is buried in Chorley Wood (Christ Church) Churchyard.
Jon Grant, Chairman of the Herts at War Project, said: "Most people are aware of the famous Commonwealth War Grave Commission sites in France and Belgium, but many aren't aware that far closer to home the story of the Great War and the resting places of those men that fought and died can be found in the UK.
"We felt strongly that in supporting the work of the CWGC and the Living Memory Project, we would offer the public a chance to get outside on a Saturday and find out about that history that is so close to their own doorsteps.
"We would like to invite members of the public to join us on part of, or an entire day's bike ride across the county to remember our county ancestors a century on."
CWGC Director of External Relations, Colin Kerr, said:"The overseas work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is well known, but here in the UK, there is little awareness of the graves and memorials to be found in a more than 12,000 locations that commemorate more than 300,000 Commonwealth war dead of the two world wars.
"We believe this is wrong, and through the Living Memory Project aim to reconnect the British public to their commemorative heritage on their doorstep.
"The Living Memory Project will encourage more people to discover and visit our war grave sites and remember the war dead in those places from the First and Second World Wars.
"We want them to share their stories and raise awareness with their wider communities."
In total, there are 170,000 Commonwealth War Graves in Britain. Hertfordshire contained 38 military hospitals and convalescent homes during the First World War, which catered for close to 200,000 men, some of whom died whilst in their care as a result of grievous wounds sustained in action.
If you wish to join the Herts at War project on the road or would like to know more about the event, please visit www.hertsatwar.co.uk/somme-cycle-event or email [email protected].
For more information on the Living Memory Project, please visit www.cwgclivingmemory.org or email [email protected].
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