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”.