A BARNT Green man is set to follow his grandfather’s footsteps to the Western Front this summer to commemorate a century since the Battle of Passchendaele.
Mat Porton will attend a special service at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium on July 31 to mark the start of the infamous battle in 1917 which lasted from July 31 to November 6.
Mat and his father Donald will travel together to remember Donald’s father Thomas Porton, of the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards, who served on the Western Front from August 1914 to July 1918, before returning home safely and winning the Military Medal for bravery.
The trip comes after a nationwide search, launched by UK Culture Secretary Karen Bradley in January, for descendants with a family link to the troops who served on the Ypres Salient from 1914 to 1918.
Mat said: “We were so lucky to get tickets to Passchendaele 100 and this has allowed me to plan a visit for myself and my father to the battlefields on which Thomas fought.
“It will also allow us to be a part of the larger commemoration of those who fought alongside Thomas and to share this experience with the other families I’m sure will be an amazing experience.
“The pursuit of my grandfather’s story and getting to know about his life and war experience has been immensely satisfying and profoundly emotional at times.”
Mat will join more than 4,000 descendants of First World War soldiers from across the UK who have been invited to special ceremonies marking 100 years since the battle which claimed an estimated 250,000 British and Commonwealth casualties.
Culture Secretary, Karen Bradley, said: “As we continue to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, it is important that we remember the horrors of the battlefields of Ypres and honour the many who lost their lives. It is the descendants of those who experienced Passchendaele who can help tell its story and it is hugely symbolic for them to be able stand on Belgian soil to remember their relatives’ service and sacrifice.”
The government is encouraging families to share their Passchendaele story at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org and to visit www.passchendaele100.org for more on the commemorative events.
