In 2014 a group of friends, half of whom had served in the UK Armed Forces, decided to get together and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first shots fired in the Great War and to salute Private John Parr, the first Commonwealth Soldier to fall in action. The team cycled from London to Mons to where Pte Parr was killed on 21 August 1914.
Four years later the majority of that team, plus a few new guys including ME, are going back Belgium to commemorate the last day of the Great War and to remember Private George Lawrence Price, Canadian Army, as the last Commonwealth Soldier killed. Pte Price died just two minutes before the 11 o’clock Armistice on 11 November 1918. We will also be remembering Private George Edwin Ellison, the last British Soldier killed, some 90 minutes before the 11 o’clock Armistice. All three men were killed within a few miles of each other near Mons; separated by 4 years, 2 months and 22 days.
The team will be taking the reverse journey, from Mons, via Ypres, Calais & Chatham back to London. We will be stopping along the way to visit a number of Commonwealth War Graves to pay our respects. We will also be joined by some old friends of mine from the Belgium Army Bomb Disposal (DOVO) to cycle with us through some of Flanders. These guys are still clearing hundreds of tons of First World War unexploded ordnance, including chemical weapons, from the Flanders Battlefields, all this time later.
Now I can’t claim any great sacrifice on this trip - I am driving one of the support vehicles. BUT, it would be fantastic if you could support my friends’ efforts by donating. All monies raised are going to the Lloyds of London Branch of the Royal British Legion.
THANK YOU
Be sure to follow our progress on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lastshotsfiredride/?__tn__=HHH-R
There is also a video montage from the First Shots Fired trip here: https://vimeo.com/104625048?fbclid=IwAR2dxjk8Ladns6R2ikx2XxxUYHzHzQuXmrDUsi1lYdWcRJ3m5q6_W4Dq918
