TWO members of the Tavistock branch of The Royal British Legion took part and successfully completed a special pilgrimage of remembrance.

Royston Hackney and Malcolm Christie completed the RBL’s Great Pilgrimage 90 (GP90) from August 5 to 9 — the largest event in the charity’s history — of World War One battlefields which culminated in a parade and ceremony in Ypres.

GP90 marked 90 years since the original Royal British Legion Pilgrimage in 1928, which saw 11,000 World War One veterans and war widows visit the battlefields of the Somme in France and Ypres in Belgium, a decade after the conflict ended.

That pilgrimage culminated in a march through Ypres to the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s Menin Gate Memorial for a ceremony to commemorate the launch of The Hundred Days Offensive and in remembrance of those who never returned.

Royston and Malcolm represented the Tavistock branch and the local community at the event, as standard bearer and wreath layer respectively.

Royston and Malcolm toured some of the same battlefields and cemeteries visited by those on the 1928 pilgrimage, before marching along the original route through Ypres, to the Menin Gate on August 8, bearing their branch standard and a wreath, which was laid there.

They joined more than 2,200 other Legion representatives and dignitaries, including civic and military guests for the UK, Commonwealth and Northern Europe.

Approximately 46 RBL branches from Devon attended, including Okehampton and Bere Alston.

Malcolm said it was a ‘memorable experience’ and he and Royston were so proud to represent their branch and the town of Tavistock.

Maria and Vince Hill were among those who attended to support Bere Alston British Legion. They said: ‘It was the most amazing, humbling, emotional thing we have ever done. We will remember this forever.’