Somme bugle played to mark Cenotaph centenary

A bugle found next to the body of a Welsh Guard who fought during the Battle of the Somme has been played to mark the centenary of the Cenotaph.

The Stone Cenotaph in Whitehall was unveiled on the second anniversary of the 1918 Armistice by King George V, replacing a temporary structure at the site.

To mark 100 years since thousands gathered in Whitehall for the designation of the Cenotaph as Britain’s national war memorial, Lance Sergeant Stuart Laing of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards performed the Last Post and Reveille on a bugle found in France from 1915.

The instrument is marked with the number 10, showing it was the 10th produced for the regiment.

L/Sgt Laing said: “Taking part today is massively important, not just to me but to everyone who enjoys the freedoms those soldiers sacrificed everything for. To be able to share a connection with this event is a huge honour.”