MP to honour Northumberland troops in Italy

The Conservative, who is chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces Covenant, has been invited to lay a wreath at a Commonwealth War Grave commemorating the loss of British troops during the First World War, nearly a third of whom were from the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Mrs Trevelyan has been invited to lay a wreath at the cemetery in Tezze, Italy, over Remembrance Weekend, on behalf of the UK, as part of ongoing commemorations of the centenary of the First World War.

Of the 337 graves in the cemetery, 72 mark the final resting place of Northumberland Fusiliers.

The men were from the 10th and 11th Battalions who fought at the Battle of Vittoria Veneto, which took place between October 24 and 30, 1918, against the Austro-Hungarian army. Many were killed towards the end of this action within a fortnight of the end of the war.

Mrs Trevelyan said: “It is a tremendous honour to be able to lay a wreath to remember these local lads who lost their lives far from home just before the end of the war.

“It is so important to ensure their sacrifice is remembered and I am pleased the centenary events mean I am able to honour them in this way.

“The First World War devastated communities across Northumberland, with many losing large numbers of young men, some barely men at all.

“It is incredibly important to me that their lives are honoured, and it will give me great pride to be able to lay a wreath at the cemetery in Tezze.”