Attended by servicemen, many of whom were injured in the war, as well as the King and Queen, the event was preceded by a luncheon and processions in London. The sacrifices of men were translated into music with a choral concert.
‘To The Vanguard’, a poem dedicated to The Old Contemptibles (those part of the British Expeditionary Force) and written by Beatrix Brice Miller, was put to music by Arthur Somervell for the occasion. First published in The Times on 2nd November 1916, the poem also features on the Southampton Old Contemptibles Memorial Plaque on Admiralty House.
The banner was made at the Royal School of Art, Needlework, South Kensington, and is made of yellow silk with silk thread embroidery detailing the Hampshire Regiment’s battle honours. This banner, and it’s fellow Regiments banners, were displayed on the evening. In the reverse of the doors is the Roll Call of those who were The Hampshire Regiment during those first few months. This Roll Call was read out at the end of the evening.