# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Sons of Cambridgeshire and the Somme
- **Event Start and End Date**: Mon, 26 Oct, 2026 at 07:30 pm (+00:00)
- **Event Description**: £5 on the door, payable by cash or card

In 1914, recruiting parties travelled through Cambridgeshire accompanied by drums and bugles, calling upon local men to volunteer for a new battalion. Friends, neighbours, workmates and brothers stepped forward together.

They became the 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment—the Cambridge Volunteer Battalion, better known as the Cambs Suffolks.

These were men drawn from the towns, villages, farms and families of Cambridgeshire. They trained together in Cambridge, Yorkshire and on Salisbury Plain before being sent to France. By the summer of 1916, they were preparing for the great offensive that Britain hoped would break the deadlock on the Western Front.

On the morning of 1 July 1916, following an enormous bombardment and the explosion of the Lochnagar mine, the Cambs Suffolks advanced through Sausage Valley. The German defences had not been destroyed as expected. Machine guns, artillery and flamethrowers inflicted devastating losses upon the battalion—and the consequences travelled all the way back to Cambridgeshire.

This illustrated Old Willingham talk will follow the men from recruitment and training to the trenches and the first day of the Somme. It will include their friendships, letters and experiences, as well as the stories of Willingham men, including Ernest Pridham, who enlisted at only sixteen, Ernest Cox and Smith Stevens Poulter.

We will also look at Willingham’s wartime auxiliary hospital and the nurses and local people caring for wounded servicemen at home.

This is not simply the story of a battle. It is the story of a generation of Cambridgeshire men who enlisted together, served together—and whose loss was felt family by family and village by village.

Please click “Going” on the Facebook event if you intend to join us, as this helps us estimate the number of seats required.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/cambridge/sons-of-cambridgeshire-and-the-somme/200029520997524
- **Event Categories**: parties, workshops, meetups, entertainment, nonprofit
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 30

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: Cambridge
- **state**: EN
- **country**: United Kingdom
- **location**: Willingham Social Club. Fen End, CB24 5LH Willingham, United Kingdom
- **lat**: 52.31608
- **long**: 0.05991
- **full address**: Willingham Social Club. Fen End, CB24 5LH Willingham, United Kingdom, 20c Fen End, Cambridge, CB24 5, United Kingdom

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: Sons of Cambridgeshire and the Somme
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events10/banners/e9ca4dfd16b56aee0396946eadef9749360a905a6dfea52a8f18e92c336ed0a7-rimg-w1140-h800-dcf8f8f8-gmir?v=1788203963

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is Sons of Cambridgeshire and the Somme being held?
  - **A:** Sons of Cambridgeshire and the Somme takes place on Mon, 26 Oct, 2026 at 07:30 pm to Mon, 26 Oct, 2026 at 07:30 pm at Willingham Social Club. Fen End, CB24 5LH Willingham, United Kingdom, 20c Fen End, Cambridge, CB24 5, United Kingdom.
- **Q**: Who is organizing Sons of Cambridgeshire and the Somme?
  - **A:** Sons of Cambridgeshire and the Somme is organized by Willingham History & Iducation Group.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** Sons of Cambridgeshire and the Somme is ideal for party-goers, social butterflies, and anyone looking for a great night out with music, drinks, and good vibes. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Cambridge, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Sons of Cambridgeshire and the Somme sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast.

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