A TOWN will commemorate its fallen war heroes by laying white roses tonight

The flowers are being laid tonight ahead of Yorkshire Day.

Steven Holt, a town crier from Morley, will spend tomorrow afternoon proclaiming ‘oyez’ around the precinct to mark the occasion.

Founder of Ossett Through the Ages, Anne-Marie Fawcett, said: “We have a connection to Yorkshire Day here in Ossett.

“Yorkshire Day falls on the anniversary of the Battle of Minden in Germany in 1759.

“The King’s 39 Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) is an amalgamation of several regiments that fought and died in the battle.

“Ossett has a strong connection to the KOYLI and we have the 4th Battalion drill hall from 1904 that is still in existence on Station Road.

“Yorkshire Day is a celebration of all things Yorkshire but it is also a commemoration of the men we have on our war memorial.”

Members of the community have created over 500 garlands of Yorkshire Roses which are set to be hung up across the town hall.

Sue Gothard has created individual roses for each of the soldiers named on the memorial who served with the KOYLI, and Rachel Driver has added their ages and details of where they lived and died.

Spinning Yarns, The Recycle Yard and Trinity Belles WI have donated crocheted white roses which will be displayed. The children of Gawthorpe Academy have also created a display.

Ossett honours 122 men from various KOYli battalions on its war memorial.

Another soldier from the town who fought in the battle has recently been discovered and his name will be added to the memorial in due course.

Sgt James Chappell was 28-years-old when he was killed on July 5 1916 in the trenches of the Somme.

The first Yorkshire Day was celebrated on August 1, 1975 by the Yorkshire Ridings Society.

But, it wasn’t an official event until 1985.August 1 was partly chosen because it falls on the anniversary of the Battle of Minden, when Yorkshire Soldiers who had fought in the Battle of Minden in Germany picked white roses as

tributes to their dead comrades.

It was also chosen as it is on the anniversary of the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, which former Yorkshire MP, William Wilberforce, campaigned for.

To join Ossett Through The Ages, visit the group’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/ossettthroughtheages or email [email protected].