First World War soldiers march again at Stonehenge

A million soldiers once trained in the shadow of Stonehenge in preparation for going to battle in the First World War. A hundred years on, their shadows have been projected onto the stones as a tribute to their sacrifice.

Stonehenge stood at the heart of the world’s largest military training ground during the Great War, with hundreds of thousands of men travelling from across the Commonwealth to prepare for battle. One in six of these men lost their lives in the conflict.

Footage of British soldiers preparing for ‘the big push’ in 1917 is being projected onto the stones tonight (4 November) as part of a special memorial service attended by military and descendants.

The projection closed with the ‘Last Post’ played by a bugler from the Royal Regiment Fusiliers, and a two minute silence on the World Heritage site.

You can see footage of the rehearsal below, courtesy of English Heritage:

An exhibition marking the lives of the men who trained on Salisbury Plain is due to open at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre tomorrow (5 November). It will feature personal stories never told before and many photos and mementos.