Throughout the year, we hold numerous events to show our support for the armed forces. You can find out about this year's events on the civic events calendar, or you can find out more about past events below.
Recent events
2022 events
Sea Cadets presentation
The Mayor of Middlesbrough hosted a presentation evening in the council chamber and civic suite for the TS Erimus Middlesbrough Sea Cadets on Monday 17 October. They were awarded a certificate of recognition on behalf of Middlesbrough Council and the people of Middlesbrough for their 80th anniversary. They certificate was given for the positive contribution they have made to the lives of the young people of Middlesbrough.
Trafalgar Day
A service was held to commemorate the 217th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar on Sunday 30 October at the cenotaph. It was attended by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Trevor Watson JP, the Mayor of Middlesbrough, and the Mayors of Hartlepool, Redcar & Cleveland, Guisborough and Thornaby. Also in attendance was Andy McDonald MP for Middlesbrough, the leader of Stockton Council, Middlesbrough Councillors, and Sea Cadets staff, cadets, and volunteers from Teesside District. The service was conducted by Rev Robert Desics SSC CF, vicar for the parish of South Thornaby and chaplain to the Army Cadet Force.
Laying of the first poppy
The Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Jo Ropner, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Linda Curran, High Sheriff of North Yorkshire James Lambert, the Mayor of Middlesbrough, Andy McDonald MP, the Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade, and other civic guests attended the laying the first poppy on the field of remembrance service at the cenotaph on Thursday 10 November 2012. Hundreds of pupils from 38 primary and secondary schools also attended, laying a wooden poppy cross and bringing along poppies and wreaths they had made specially for the occasion. Children from Archibald Primary School made special wooden crosses for the Lord Lieutenant, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, and High Sheriff. Some of the children from Sacred Heart Primary School, along with Archibald, gave readings at the service.
Armistice Day
A service was held at the cenotaph to observe the two-minute silence for Armistice Day on 11 November. This year saw the centenary of the cenotaph and a small display was at the Dorman Museum in conjunction with Teesside Archives to commemorate the centenary.
2021 events
On Sunday 12 September, a parade and wreath-laying service was held to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Britain by the cadets of 1869 (Middlesbrough) Squadron Air Training Corps.
The TS Erimus Middlesbrough Sea Cadets held the Teesside District Trafalgar Day Parade on Sunday 24 October to commemorate the 216th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.
The laying of the first poppy service was held at the cenotaph on Thursday 11 November, to mark the start of the year's acts of remembrance. Pupils from over 40 Middlesbrough schools attended the event, as well as making poppies and wreaths from recyclable materials which were placed on and around the Cenotaph.
2020 events
Despite restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, we were still able to commemorate remembrance events in 2020.
We commemorated VE Day on Friday 8 May virtually, along with BBC Tees, and encouraged residents to participate in a stay at home street party. On Saturday 15 August, we held a small wreath laying ceremony at the cenotaph to mark VJ Day and a local bagpipe player, Paul Mack, performed a specially commissioned piece at 6am.
As we were unable to have a service for Armistice Day on 11 November, the Bishops of Middlesbrough and Whitby pre-recorded a short service to commemorate the day.
We held a small cross-laying ceremony on Thursday 5 November as we were unable to hold the usual service for the laying of the first poppy. We invited local schools to take part in a virtual ceremony which was pre-recorded by Father Glyn Holland and the pupils from Macmillan Academy.
Annual parades
Middlesbrough Council, in conjunction with the RAF, Sea, and Army Cadet Forces, and 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, as well as other organisations, holds annual parades and services to recognise those who participated in armed conflicts both past and present.
The anniversary of the Battle of Britain Parade and Service is held in September. The Battle of Britain was the German air force’s attempt to gain air superiority over the RAF from July to September 1940. Their ultimate failure was one of the turning points of World War Two and prevented Germany from invading Britain.
The Trafalgar Day Parade and Service is held in October in commemoration of Admiral Lord Nelson’s defeat of the French and Spanish fleet off Cape Trafalgar in 1805 despite being outnumbered and out-gunned.
The Laying of the First Poppy Service is held on the Thursday prior to Remembrance Sunday in November to mark the start of the year’s Acts of Remembrance. Pupils from every school in Middlesbrough are invited to attend and place a poppy cross in the Field of Remembrance at the Cenotaph.
Remembrance Sunday is a day to remember and honour those who lost their lives in both World Wars and later conflicts. It is held at 11am on the second Sunday in November (the Sunday nearest to 11 November, Armistice Day).
Armistice Day is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne which came into effect at 11am, the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.
All of these events are held at the Cenotaph which is located outside the Dorman Museum on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. The dates and times of this year’s parades can be found in the civic events calendar.
Armed Forces Day
Every year, we show our support for the UK's service personnel and veterans by promoting Armed Forces Day.
Armed Forces Day is a national celebration of support for the military, and is open to all, from families and local groups to veterans and potential new recruits. It was formerly known as Veterans' Day and has been developed to reflect the wider role of the UK Armed Forces in the life of the nation and its local communities, and their involvement in ongoing conflicts around the globe.
We held an Armed Forces Day event in Middlesbrough town centre on Saturday 18 June 2022. The event included stalls from various military organisations, cadets, live music, dancing, large outside games, and arts and crafts.
Memorials
Tom Dresser VC memorial
Tom Dresser was born on 21 July 1892. He was 24 years old, and a private in the 7th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’ Own), British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Despite being twice seriously wounded when crossing ‘no man’s land’ between the battalion headquarters and the front line, just outside Roeux in Northern France, Private Dresser delivered a vital message to his Commanding Officer in the trenches, a message which proved of great value to his battalion at a critical time in the battle of Arras.
Returning home to Middlesbrough after demobilisation at the end of World War One, Tom Dresser lived a modest life until his passing in 1982 at the age of 90, never talking about his heroic achievements or his military engagement, although he served in the Home Guard from 1939 to 1945 when war broke out again.
The unveiling of the Tom Dresser VC statue and centenary stone took place on Friday 12 May 2017 at the Dorman Museum. The funding for the statue was raised entirely by the Dresser family.
Stanley Hollis VC memorial
Company Sergeant Major Hollis VC was born in Archibald Street, Middlesbrough in 1912, and became a steelworker and lorry driver before enlisting in the army.
He went on to become the only person to be awarded the Victoria Cross on D-Day, being recommended twice for his actions on June 6, 1944.
He braved heavy machine gun fire during the landings and was wounded so many times he was branded 'the man they couldn't kill.'
The tribute to the legendary Green Howard was made possible thanks to a £150,000 fundraising campaign by the Stanley Hollis VC Memorial Fund Committee led by retired businessman Brian Bage.
Past events
Remembering Gallipoli and Our War - 23 April 2015
A remembrance service to honour those who fought in Gallipoli and the First World War was held at Middlesbrough cenotaph. As part of the commemorations, 10 of the town's schools made nearly 2,000 artificial poppies for an art project titled Remembering Gallipoli and Our War. The poppies were made from materials including ceramics, plastic bottles, paper and foam, and were planted in the flowerbeds surrounding the cenotaph to create the Middlesbrough Schools Field of Poppies.
Saturday 25 April 2015 marked exactly 100 years to the day that Australians and New Zealanders landed on Turkey's Gallipoli peninsula in 1915. The eight and a half month campaign led to the deaths of more than 130,000 soldiers, of whom more than 21,000 were British.
Yorkshire Regiment Freedom Parade
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Yorkshire Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment exercised their Rights to hold a Freedom Parade through Middlesbrough on Tuesday 21 June 2016. Freedom of the Borough was first conferred on The Green Howards in 1944 and transferred to today’s Yorkshire Regiment in 2006. The Freedom of entry to a town or borough is a highly prized honour as it implies a long and harmonious association between a regiment and the community it serves.
