A SERVICE to commemorate the battle which killed an acclaimed Trawsfynydd poet will take place later this year.

A National Service of Remembrance is being held at the Welsh Memorial in Langemark, Belgium, in July this year to mark the centenary of the beginning of The Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).

This battle is of particular resonance to Wales as it claimed the lives of many Welsh soldiers, including Meirionnydd’s famous son Hedd Wyn.

The service is being held on 31 July, a date significant not only because it marks the centenary of the beginning of the battle,but it is also the date when Hedd Wyn was killed. He is buried at the nearby Artillery Wood cemetery.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “The Third Battle of Ypres is of great significance to Wales. The Welsh Memorial stands on Pilckhem Ridge where 100 years ago the 38th (Welsh) Division were heavily involved.

“The centenary of this battle, which led to the loss of so many lives including the poet Hedd Wyn, will be the main focus of our memorial events this year as we remember the terrible events of a century ago.

“It is important future generations continue to remember what happened in this conflict and with that aim there is the opportunity to attend the National Service of Remembrance.”