Article written by Andrew Brown for Stand Up For Southport
Posted by 25 August 2026
Photographs by Dave Brown Photography
Veterans and people from Britain and Belgium came together as a Battle Of Mons Commemoration took place in Southport.
A special service was held at Southport War Memorial on Friday (21st August 2026) to mark 112 years since the Battle Of Mons, which took place in Belgium in the early stages of World War One.
The Battle and the subsequent legend of The Angels Of Mons are recognised by a special exhibition which you can see inside The Atkinson on Lord Street in Southport, with free admission. The exhibition is made possible through a partnership between The Atkinson and Mons Memorial Museum.
The Commemoration was led by Reverend Ben Dyer and included veterans and representatives from Mons and from Sefton including Southport Royal British Legion.
Also present were four ‘Angels Of Mons’ who had travelled from Belgium for the event.
Wreaths were placed inside Southport War Memorial – where the names of those who died in Mons are inscribed – by dignitaries including Merseyside Lord Lieutenant Peter Oliver OBE; Southport MP Patrick Hurley; Bootle MP Peter Dowd; Mayor of Sefton Cllr Jen Corcoran; and others.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rev Ben Dyer said: “It is a particular privilege to welcome our friends from Mons and all who have joined us for this act of remembrance.
“Almighty God as we gather in remembrance help us to honour those who served and sacrificed; to remember with gratitude; and to place our hope in you.
“We remember all those who served alongside one another and depended upon one another.
“And we remember those who never returned home, as well as the families and communities whose lives were changed forever.
“Today we look back with gratitude and with sorrow. But we also look forward with hope. For the best way to honour those who suffered in war is not simply to remember the past, but to renew our commitment to the things for which we still need courage today.
“To seek peace rather than conflict; reconciliation rather than hatred; and friendship between peoples rather than division.”
The Angels of Mons exhibition opened at The Atkinson in Southport on 27th June 2026 and will continue until 17th October 2026.
Visitors can discover a Great War legend in which frontline soldiers were believed to receive divine aid from St George and his ghostly archers.
One of the most remarkable supernatural phenomena of World War I is said to have occurred in 1914 during the Battle of Mons. The tale describes a miraculous vision appearing to British troops in their moment of greatest need.
The legend of the Angels of Mons, inspired by a short story by writer Arthur Machen, quickly captured the imagination of the British public.
At a time when people were searching for hope and meaning, many came to believe that divine forces had intervened. Accounts vary, but often describe Saint George leading phantom bowmen or angels dressed in white.
Presented in partnership with Mons Memorial Museum, this exhibition explores why such beliefs took hold during wartime.
Sefton has been twinned with Mons in Belgium since 1964 and this exhibition builds on this important relationship and shared history.
