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Commemorative events tonight 

It was on August 4, 1914 that Britain declared war on Germany and today, Prince Harry officially unveiled Step Short’s Memorial Arch. 

 

Commemorations began with a military parade along the Leas which was led by the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas.  

 

Prince Harry arrived to a warm welcome from the town and a harmony of camera clicks as everyone tried to get the royal's picture. 

 

After laying a wreath on the War Memorial The Prince accompanied the march down the Road of Remembrance to the Harbour where he met military personnel, local dignitaries and members of the public. 

At the harbour, one ballon was released in memory of every soldier named on the Folkestone War Memorial.

 

Prince Harry left Folkestone at 1pm where he made his journey to Lydd airport, to fly to Belgium where alongside Prince William, he will take part in an international commemoration this evening. 

 

MP for Folkestone and Hythe, Damian Collins said of his time with Prince Harry: "He took a great deal of interest in the history of Folkestone and the significance of this anniversary to us."

 

Ahead of the ceremony today, Step Short's Ann Berry was awarded a Point of Light award by the Prime Minister David Cameron.  MP Damian Collins said he was extremely proud of her: "It's extremely well deserved, not many people have recieved these awards from the Prime Minister.

 

 

 Our feature from today's commemorations

Folkestone Town Council has organised the parade for the evening which will start at the Leas Bandstand. 

 

Civic dignitaries and members of the public are invited to gather at 10.00pm where names on the War Memorial will be read out before the torch light procession begins at 10.20pm led by a single piper.

 

The event is inspired by an earlier parade which took place in 1934 when troops marched towards the harbour, past the war memorial, flood lit by a line of torches.

 

Folkestone Mayor, Councilor Alan North said “I believe that this event, which will coincide with vigils at Westminster Abbey and other places of worship throughout the country, will provide a fitting and reflective end to the day when the British Government 

finally concluded that it had no option but to declare war on Germany and enter a conflict, the dreadful consequences of which it could have had no idea at the time.” 

 

Also in the evening the Shorncliffe Trust will be remembering the soldiers who lost their lives with ‘Light in the Darkest Hour’. At the Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, 550 soldiers from different parts of the world are buried and the Trust felt it was important that they are also remembered on Monday. 

 

Tying in with the national project, ‘Lights Out’, the Shorncliffe Trust will be turning the lights on by lighting 550 lanterns on the graves of the soldiers to shine a light on the men who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Commemorations will begin at 10.30pm and the last lantern will be lit at 11pm. 

 Torchlight Parade 

 Military personnel at the Arch 

 Academy FM's Chloe interviews the Shorncliffe Trust 

 Road of Remembrance 

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