THE SUFFOLK REGIMENT O.C.A. STOWMARKET   Memorial wall at the entrance to the Wellington tunnels Trip to arras On the 19^th of March some of our members joined the Ixworth Branch of the Royal  British Legion on a trip to Arras. After booking into our hotel some of us took a tour  down the tunnels of Arras. During WW1 Arras had the misfortune to be very close to  the front line and suffered extensive damage from bombardments. It was a key allied  strong point because of large underground caverns beneath the town. The tunnels,  originally started in medieval times to dig out limestone for the purpose of building,  were taken over and expanded by the allies so that could be used to billet the troops  and assault tunnels were dug stopping only yards from the enemy front line just before  the battle of Arras, which started 9^th  April 1917, the tunnels han grown big enough to  hide 24,000 men. There was electric lighting, kitchens, latrines and a medical centre,  including a fully equipped operating theatre. Although there are about 20 kilometres  of tunnels, for reasons of safety there is only a small section open to the public A cross has been carved into the chalk in an area used for church services Steps leading to one of the exits for the troops On the walls of the tunnels many of the soldiers carved their names or initials  On Sunday the 20^th we carried on to Ypres stopping at  Puchevillers cemetery, were we paid our respects to Private  H Tuck of the Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario  Regiment). We also stopped at Noyelles cemetery to pay  our respects to Private R Tipple of the South Staffordshire  Regiment. At both these we held a short service. They were  both local men even if Regiments they served in were from a  bit further a field. We then went on to Ypres and in the  evening, at eight o’clock, the standard was paraded at the  Menin Gate when the local firemen played the last post