PLANS to commemorate soldiers from Haddington who died during the First World War have been revealed.

The town’s community council has been working on proposals to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War next year. John Hamilton, the group’s treasurer, revealed his idea at a meeting in the Town House last Tuesday evening.

He wants to pay tribute to each soldier named on the town’s war memorial by placing a metal thistle, adorned with the soldier’s name, on railings within Memorial Park, located on the corner of Station Road and Knox Place.

Mr Hamilton told the meeting: “The idea is that on the anniversary of the day the soldier was killed, a small procession would leave from the war memorial and walk up to the park.

“A thistle with the soldier’s name on it would be placed – ideally by a family member, or if not a local dignitary – on the railings.

“We would like to start this on Armistice Day and do it for the full year, with the processions at about 3pm.”

He said the town’s pipe band had already committed to sending a piper to the ceremonies and he was hoping to contact family members to ask them to place the thistles on the railings.

Mr Hamilton said the total cost of the project would be about £2,800.

He was keen for progress to be made as there was less than two months till Armistice Day.

A total of 131 thistles would be placed on the railings: there are 130 names on the town’s war memorial and an additional, slightly larger thistle would mark all those unnamed soldiers who lost their lives.

Councillor Shamin Akhtar, ward member, felt the idea was “really good”.