A memorial to those who gave their lives during the Battle of the Somme has been erected in France, with a little help from Rhenus Logistics UK.

Marking the centenary of the battle – which began on 01 July 1916 – the memorial commemorates the fallen soldiers of the Bradford Pals battalion. It is estimated that more than three-quarters of the 1,394 troops from the battalion who went ‘over the top’ on the first day of the battle were killed or injured.

With a key distribution centre based in Bradford, Rhenus were approached by neighbouring business Peckover Transport, to help ship the memorial stone to Bus-Les-Artois, the village in which many of the Bradford battalion spent their final night before the advance.

Working alongside Peckover Transport, a domestic haulage specialist, export freight business Rhenus oversaw the international shipment of the memorial to France. As a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the battle, Rhenus did not charge a fee for transporting the stone, which weighed more than 1.5 tonnes.

Gary Dodsworth, operations manager at Rhenus UK, commented: “The whole team was deeply honoured to be involved with this project, and we’re glad we were able to help commemorate the selfless contribution of the Bradford Pals during the First World War.

“Working in close partnership with a fellow Bradford business, we have been able to help ensure that those who gave their lives one hundred years ago will never be forgotten.”