Edinburgh to sign official 'Friendship Agreement' with French village Contalmaison

At a meeting this week, Edinburgh City Council voted unanimously to have the Lord Provost, Frank Ross, sign a joint agreement with the Mayor of Contalmaison, recognising “the long-standing ties between both communities and the shared history they possess.”

While the agreement does not hold any formal legal status, it is being described as an important symbol of the continuing relationship between the city and village.

The bond between Edinburgh and Contalmaison was established during WWI at the Battle of the Somme.

On July 1 1916 the 16th Battalion of the Royal Scots, affectionately referred to as McCrae’s Battalion, helped to lead an offensive charge from British lines onto Contalmaison.

McCrae’s Battalion was formed by Edinburgh Liberal Party politician Lieutenant-Colonel Sir George McCrae, and comprised local Edinburgh men who volunteered to serve.

The battalion was also referred to as the ‘Sporting Battalion’ because many of its soldiers were football players drawn from Heart of Midlothian FC, Hibernian FC and a number of other sporting clubs from across Edinburgh and beyond.

Alongside the 15th Battalion of the Royal Scots, which also comprised many Edinburgh men, McCrae’s Battalion suffered immense pain and losses of life during the Battle of the Somme.

Some 800 men from Edinburgh, Midlothian and Fife were wounded and 500 were killed.

In 2004 a memorial Cairn dedicated to McCrae’s Battalion was unveiled in Contalmaison.

Each year on the first day of July a memorial service takes place by the Cairn and is attended by councillors and council representatives.

Edinburgh’s Friendship Agreement with Contalmaison will complement the Cairn as a lasting symbol of remembrance and respect for the brave Edinburgh soldiers who fought at the Somme.

An official ceremony to mark the agreement will take place in the near future, with a date to be set shortly.

Jack Alexander, Vice-Chairman of the McCrae’s Battalion Trust, said: “McCraes’ Battalion Trust is delighted that Edinburgh has chosen to formalise its links with Contalmaison. Several hundred young men from the capital and its surrounding areas lie buried in the fields around the village.

“The belated construction of the Contalmaison Cairn in 2004 created a long-overdue gathering place to remember their sacrifice. Since then the Cairn has grown beyond its Edinburgh foundations to become a place of international pilgrimage – particularly for young people, who are inspired by the poignant story of sportsmen and sacrifice. It’s a story that was forgotten but which cannot be forgotten again.

“The loss of the two City of Edinburgh battalions on 1 July 1916 left us a legacy of friendship between Scotland and France that builds upon the Auld Alliance and is eloquently expressed by the Lord Provost’s letter. Edinburgh and Contalmaison are indivisibly linked by a tragic historical event, but the formal recognition of that link this week offers nothing but good for the future of our two municipalities.”

Lord Provost Frank Ross said: “The first of July and the Battle of the Somme is writ large in the history of our capital city. The sacrifice made by so many valiant men from Edinburgh and the region is long remembered. As many of us know, a great number of them were local footballers and very young, and enlisted following McCrae’s stirring speech at the Usher Hall.

“In 2004 the building of the McCrae’s Battalion memorial in Contalmaison allowed us to have a physical focus that we can use to commemorate these brave individuals on an annual basis. Indeed, a member of the civic cohort of Edinburgh has attended the commemorations on the first of July every year.

“It’s with a heavy heart that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been unable to visit Contalmaison this week but following Jack Alexander’s request to myself earlier this year, we will be signing a Friendship Agreement between the village and the City of Edinburgh. To ensure members of the McCrae’s Battalion Trust can also attend, we’re in the process of arranging a suitable ceremony and date for this.

“It further cements the tremendous relationship we share with Contalmaison and the memory that is maintained of all of the men who put their lives on the line.”