A Tynwald chair has arrived at a Belgium museum to feature in a commemorative exhibition that marks 100 years after the First World War armistice.

The chair, which marked the Millennium Year of Tynwald, was unpacked in the Flanders Field Museum this month by Major Charles Wilson and his wife Anne.

Around Remembrance Day (November 11), it will be placed alongside 123 other chairs which have been donated to the museum in Ypres from every region of the world that had fought in the war.

Major Wilson said: ’It was fantastic to go to the museum with my wife, Anne. It was quite exciting to unwrap the chair and to almost formally hand it over to represent the Isle of Man.

’It’s an amazing museum and very engaging. I reckon they arIe up to 75 picked chairs for the exhibition.’

The pair met with Dominiek Dendooven, researcher at museum, and Annick Vandenbilke, the researcher in charge of the exhibition, before unwrapping the chair.

The Tynwald chair was one of many that had provided seating for guests at the 1979 Tynwald Day in St John’s and has a gold-coloured Viking ship embossed on the back.

This was sent on its way by the Tynwald President, Stephen Rodan, and Speaker of the House of Keys and Isle of Man armed forces champion, Juan Watterson.

It was transported by postal service DHL for free.

Major Wilson continued: ’The significance of the chair is that they’ve got the story of Tynwald and of the island’s Viking background.’

He added that a short story will be placed on each chair giving details about the country and how they played an important role in the war.

The Manx story explains that 8,261 men enlisted in the armed forces, which was 82.3% of the Isle of Man’s male population of military age.

Of these, 1,261 gave their lives and 987 were wounded and that 269 officers and men from the island had gained high honours.

Along with supplying troops and vessels, the island ran special camps for the internment of enemy aliens.