Thursday, June 22, 2006

Somme Speech, 22nd June 2006

This week is Veterans’ Week, and I pay tribute to the former Veterans’ Minister Don Touhig, MP for Islwyn, for his work on this important initiative, which he did much to encourage.

Ninety years ago today, 20,000 young British men perished in the Battle of the Somme – many thousands more were injured. None of us can imagine the enormity of this slaughter. Today, 24-hour news shocks us with news of people killed in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or elsewhere in the world, and we rightly mourn our losses. But the scale of the Somme casualties mean we are, nearly one hundred years later, commemorating my grandfather’s generation.

When I was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I travelled twice to the Somme on July 1st because many thousands of Ulstermen died that day and whole communities were deprived of their fathers, husbands and sons.

Here, too, in our valley, many young men fought at the Somme, and 29 of them died on those French fields: Miners, steelworkers - working men mainly, with their lives ahead of them, never returned. They believed that their cause was just, and we can salute their bravery and their patriotism. But we can also mourn their loss.

Tonight, thanks to the Mayor, Cllr Stuart Cameron and many others, Torfaen can commemorate the dreadful day with dignity and solemnity. We appreciate the presence of Edwina Hart and I particularly welcome the buglers from Ypres, where I have been on many occasions, and where many of our Eastern Valley soldiers lie buried. May they all, wherever they fell, rest in peace.

Site designed and developed by Public Impact

Site promoted and issued on his own behalf by Paul Murphy MP. 73 Upper Trosnant Street, Pontypool, Torfaen NP4 8AU.
This site is paid for by the Communications Allowance available to MPs. Site admin