THE experiences of men serving in the First World War will be recalled at a festival in a market town.

Most of the men from Yarm and surrounding district who fought during the war joined the 4th Yorkshire Battalion and were posted to the front line between Ypres and Lille in 1915.

As soon as they arrived they were involved in some of the bloodiest fighting of the war and were subjected to poison gas attacks.

The 4th Battalion war diary recorded: “From trench to trench we fought, and thank Heaven stuck to our trenches, but at great loss”. The second battle of Ypres resulted in 60,000 casualties. The 4th Battalion had lost nearly all of its officers and about half of its fighting strength."

Peter Monck, chairman of the Yarm 1914 Group, said: “We will be remembering the debt of gratitude we owe these men by holding a festival during which local schoolchildren will read poems and stories about our local heroes”

The re-enactment group Time Bandits, a Cadet Corps of Drums and Cleveland Police Band will be taking part as well as Claire Louise, a classically trained singer. There will also be performances by Mike McGrother and Infant Hercules, a group of local singers and entertainers.

The event is due to start at 11am at the town hall on the High Street on Saturday, July 11 when the names of the nine soldiers recorded on Yarm war memorials will be read out.

The festival is being supported by the Royal British Legion through the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, and the Tees Valley Community Foundation.