History was made 100 years ago when the Armistice brought peace after four years of bloody battle.

Now you can be part of history too by attending what may well be the last chance for Kent to pay a special tribute to the men and women from the county who served in the First World War.

The special service, to be held at the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury this weekend, will be filled with bands, displays - plus a spectacular finale.

Parading soldiers will arrange drums as an altar in a drumhead service - a poignant ceremony traditionally held on a battlefield to mark significant moments.

There will be a Christian service with multi-faith participation, including a reading by Ihsan Khan, the Imam of Canterbury

Mosque and lead by the Dean of Canterbury The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis DL.

Also taking part in the service will be Army, Air and Sea Cadets, military bands, the Salvation Army Band, cathedral choirs from Canterbury and Rochester and Brompton and Shorncliffe Military Wives Choirs.

Viscount De L’Isle, the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, said: "I believe this Centenary Service will be a truly memorable occasion for all those involved, and a fitting way for our county to mark this final year of commemoration. After 2018, the First World War is unlikely to be recalled again in quite the same powerful and profound way. This may well be the last chance for Kent to pay its own special tribute."

Alongside all the ceremony and events, there will be refreshments available for visitors to buy.

A HIGH-FLYING HIGHLIGHT

The Flying Tigers, the freefall parachute team of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, will provide a spectacular finale to the service - descending into the ground in formation.

The Tigers - formed in 1986 and originally called The Flying Dragons - are made up of soldiers of the Regiment recruited from Kent as well as Surrey, Sussex, London and Hampshire, who volunteer from various battalions to take part.

KENT STORIES

Kent and England cricketer Colin “Charlie” Blythe, who was killed at Passchendaele in November 1917, will be remembered in a 100-word story published for the first time at the Kent Centenary Service.

Stephen Barnaby has written 100 words – known as a centena – in a project sponsored by the Imperial War Museum and 26, a not-for-profit organisation for professional writers.

In it, he says: Blythe was a “...beautiful left arm spinner…subtle, imaginative, lethal.”

Blythe played for Kent between 1899 and 1914, turning out in 439 matches and taking 2,503 wickets. He played in 19 Tests against Australia and South Africa, and was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1904. He lost his life near Ypres when a piece of shrapnel passed through his wallets, defacing the photo of his wife Janet and piercing his heart.

To find out more about the 26 Armistice Project, visit 26.org.uk

First World War flying ace James McCudden was born in Gillingham in 1895 and went on be decorated with the VC, DSO & Bar, MC & Bar, MM and the Croix de Guerre. He secured more than 50 aerial victories and is among the most highly decorated airmen in British military history.

He was granted the Freedom of the Borough of Gillingham, but the ceremony never took place as he was on active service in France. On the morning of July 9, 1918, his aircraft rolled on its side and plunged into trees bordering a French aerodrome.

He was found unconscious beside the wreckage, having suffered a fractured skull, and never regained consciousness. He was buried the following day in the small British War Cemetery at Wavans.

DETAILS

The free Kent First World War Centenary Service will be held on Sunday, September 23, with gates opening at 12.30pm for a 2pm start at the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury. The service ends at 4.15pm. To register for your free tickets, go to kentcentenary.co.uk