Camborne Youth Band has just returned from their memorable trip to perform at the iconic Menin Gate War Memorial in Ypres in Belgium (above).

Their performance, part of the daily evening ceremony to honour the thousands of men who died but have no known grave, brought a two-day trip to First World War battlefields to an emotional close, as MD Alan Pope told 4BR.

"This was a very important moving experience for us all. It will live on with us for the rest of our lives. Over the weekend, the band conducted itself with great dignity at all the ceremonies in which they took part, played superbly, especially at the Menin Gate."

Bugle call

As reported on 4BR, the trip also saw the return of a 100-year-old bugle back to the scenes of terrible carnage over a century ago with the band playing 'The Last Post' in the graveyard at Sailly-sur-la-Lys in northern France, where a Cornish policeman and rugby player, Thomas Penhorwood, is buried.

The bugle belongs to the family of band member Corey Williams, the great, great grandson of Fred Negus, one of the miners from Dolcoath who signed up with his friends in 1914, and who served on the Western Front throughout the war.

The band also travelled to the nearby town of Estaires where a group of Cornish miners from Dolcoath were stationed and where the band presented local dignitaries with a rugby ball signed by current Devon and Cornwall teams.

Music of the guns

100 years earlier Cornish and Devonshire servicemen organised three games of rugby between themselves after Camborne Rugby Club sent out a ball.

After the matches they wrote back to say that the last game, played on Whit Monday, took place amid a backdrop to the 'music of the guns'.

We laid a wreath at the war memorial at Estaires. Being Cornish, I feel very humble knowing of the sacrifice these brave people made15 year old euphonium player Hannah Viant

Huge impression

The trip made a huge impression on the youngsters, with principal cornet Aaron Thomas aged 17, telling 4BR: "It was really moving to know that Cornish people came here and gave their lives. It was an honour to take part in remembering them — so we can give something back."

15 year old euphonium player Hannah Viant agreed: "We laid a wreath at the war memorial at Estaires. Being Cornish, I feel very humble knowing of the sacrifice these brave people made."

A video of the band's performance and trip can be viewed at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud-ftwVcI4Y