Town marks Armed Forces Day with flag ceremony (From This Is Lancashire)

Town marks Armed Forces Day with flag ceremony

7:44am Tuesday 23rd June 2009

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A SPECIALLY designed flag was flown high over Bolton as part of a week-long series of events in the run up to Armed Forces Day.

The standard, based on the Union Flag, was raised at 10.30am yesterday. Armed Forces Day is on Saturday.

Cllr Norman Critchley, Mayor of Bolton, said: “The idea of Armed Forces Day is to ask people to think about all the soldiers who are serving all over the world and those who gave their lives so that we have a free society today.”

Armed Forces Day flags were also to be flown where British servicemen and women are serving overseas, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Cyprus, Germany, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.

On Saturday there will be events in the town centre to mark the day.

A private ceremony will be held at Bolton Town Hall to remember Private James Smith, who was shot at dawn in 1917.

It comes after his name was placed in the town’s book of remembrance earlier this year, following an official government pardon for the 306 men shot by firing squad in the First World War.

On Saturday, at 9.30am, relatives of Pte Smith will turn to the page bearing his name and a short service will be led by the Vicar of Bolton, the Rev Matt Thompson.

It will be followed by celebrations in Victoria Square which will include military vehicles on show and music from the 1940s.

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