Wreath to be laid in Hereford to commemorate The Battle of Cambrai

Mike Oliver, a former soldier of the fifth and eighth Royal Tank Regiment, has organised for a wreath to be laid on the war memorial outside the Shire Hall on November 19 at 11am.

He is laying the wreath to mark the centenary since the tank battle.

The Royal Tank Regiment celebrates Cambrai Day each year to commemorate the first time that tanks were used successfully against the German army during the First World War.

The battle took place between November 20 and December 7 1917. It was not the first time that tanks had been used, however previously they had been employed in too few numbers and in poor terrain.

Enemy positions were weakened by a pre-planned but un-registered barrage by more than 1000 field artillery pieces.

As part of a combined-arms offensive, the Battalions of the Royal Tank Corps deployed 476 tanks which breached the Hindenburg Line and seized more than 8km of enemy held ground within the first 24 hours.

Mr Oliver, 77, from near Brampton Bryan served with Royal Tank Regiment from 1958 to 1964.

He said: "I would be interested to meet other families with connections to the regiment - past, present and surviving."

If you have any information call 01568 770044.