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The Orange Order has called on both the Royal Mail and An
Post in the Irish Republic to consider a special stamp to
mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme next
year.
Thousands of Ulstermen along with others from Great Britain
and the south of Ireland were killed or wounded at the Somme
in July 1916. The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers alone had 2,208
fatalities, more than any British regiment has ever suffered
in one single day of action.
"The Somme was one of the bloodiest battles in military
history in which men from all over the island of Ireland displayed
almost unimaginable courage", said the Orange Order's
Grand Master, Robert Saulters. "Because of the prominent
role played by the 36th Ulster Division, naturally thousands
of people in Northern Ireland will be making a special effort
to mark next year's 90th anniversary of the battle - but we
believe the Somme deserves even wider recognition and a special
commemorative stamp is the obvious answer."
While the Royal Mail says commemorative stamps are usually
only considered for 50th anniversaries or multiples of 50,
the idea of a special Somme stamp hasn't been entirely ruled
out. There's been no reply yet from Dublin to the Order's
request but Mr. Saulters said he was hoping for a positive
response.
"Given the number of men from what is now the Irish
Republic who died in the battle, I'm sure the Irish authorities
will recognize that a commemorative stamp is one way to ensure
that their courage and self-sacrifice isn't airbrushed out
of the national memory."
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