On 7 April 2011, the Rye Branch of the Royal British Legion organised another visit to the First World War battlefields of Artois.

President  of the Branch, Colonel Anthony Kimber led a party of 45  participants  from the Rye area to consider the battles of Arras in  spring 1917  and Loos in autumn 1915. In both battles Rye men, such as  Frank  Holdstock, David Bone, Percy Larkin and Sidney McGrath were  casualties  and are commemorated on memorials in Artois.   Famously John  Kipling  (son of Rudyard Kipling) fell at Loos and there remains  contention  today as to where precisely he lies. The visit took in the  newly  established tunnels (in 2008) at Arras, which were used by the  British  Army as shelter prior to the battle of Arras; the Canadian  memorial on  Vimy Ridge and various parts of the Loos battlefield to the  north of  Vimy.

Anthony  Kimber said that ” the event took place in glorious weather,  unlike  that for the two battles over 90 years ago. Many participants  said that  they found the visit both memorable and informative,  particularly as  we located the places where earlier citizens of Rye had  fallen and  heard something of the circumstances in which they had died.  Many  found it both moving and thought provoking to remember what earlier generations had experienced”.