Help Us Repair The Barnsley Pals Memorial
7th July 2022
Some of you, like us, will have been saddened to hear of the damage to
the wonderful memorial ‘Light Lines,’ which commemorates the Barnsley
Pals who lost their lives at the Battle of the Somme. The Trust were one
of the organisations that contributed to this important installation, and
we would really appreciate your help in raising funds for its repair.
To donate text BARNSLEYPALS to 70085 followed by the amount you wish to
donate, or via the DONATE button at bmht.org.
Light Lines features many of the soldiers’ faces etched onto panels which
light up at night and was originally a temporary installation outside
Barnsley Town Hall before being moved to its permanent home at
Churchfields in 2017. It honours the 300 men from the town who lost
their lives on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916
– a day which saw the heaviest loss of life in a single day in British
Military History.
Most of the 300 were men of the 13th and 14th Battalions of the York and
Lancaster Regiment, the Barnsley Pals, so-called because they lived,
worked, signed up and in many cases died together.
Councillor Robert Frost, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place, said:
“Recently, an art installation in Churchfields, commemorating local
soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of the Somme was broken,
causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
“The award-winning piece ‘Light Lines’ was celebrated for its innovation
and community engagement, involving local families and school children.
“What caused the damage has yet to be determined, however, we are
appealing for witnesses who may have seen the incident and can provide
information. People are encouraged to share details via
barnsleymuseums@barnsley.gov.uk
“We would be shocked and disappointed to think that an act of
vandalism was directed towards war heroes, who gave so much for their
town and country. Barnsley Museums are working with the artists to
repair the installation.”
Please help us to restore this much-loved memorial and in doing so,
honour the lives of those we lost during this horrendous battle.
For more details about public art in Barnsley visit
