
This week we come together to discover out World War heritage for War Graves Week, 21-28 May – an initiative from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (GWGC).
This is a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with our local history and learn about the courageous people in the Tamworth constituency, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Every name, every story is important and I have listed all of those in the Tamworth constituency who perished in WW1 and WW2:
Tamworth Cemetery
Sgt Thomas Brittain
Cpl Enid Brown
Pvt James Cartlidge
Cpt Mervyn Darling
Pvt Victor Delanois
Cdt Leslie Ingram
Gnr Harold Cooke
Pvt Geoffrey Hodgett
LAC Horace Palmer
Gnr James Smith
Dvr G Arnold
Sgt A Lakin
Pvt Herbert Redfern
Cpl Joseph Redfern
Sgt Harry Bird
Spr Herbert Hollyoake
LCpl Thomas Lucas
LCpl Albert Wood
Pvt James Neill
Dvr F Richards
BSM G Mattison
Pvt A Chetwynd
Pvt Walter Farley
Dvr C Newbury
Pvt G Smedley
Pvt Charles Smith
LCpl George Wainwright
LBdr Wilfred Wood
Pvt J Sewell
Pvt A Ashwood
LCpl William Chapman
Tamworth Glascote Cemetery
LAC James Day
Gnr Victor Arnold
Pvt Charles Cooper
Wheeler Arthur Baxter
Cptr George Brain
Pvt Herbert Chiles
RFN T Finney
Wilnecote Cemetery
Pvt Percy Passey
Pvt Leonard Wallbank
Pvt Frederick Allsopp
RFN Walter Craddock
St Paul’s, Fazeley
Gnr Eric Kinson
WO2 Reginald Sandall
OS George Watts
Cpl E Thomas
LCpl E Wilkinson
2AM S Barker
St Peter’s, Little Aston
Sgt John Allen
Sgt John Hicken
Pvt Douglas Morgan
Wg Cdr Ronald Neville-Clarke
Pvt E Kyte
LSgt Alfred Newbold
Pvt W Kingzett
St John the Baptist’s, Shenstone
Plt David Huddleston
Gnr John Oliver
Pvt W Godwin
Pvt Eileen Spencer
Pvt A Berridge
St John’s, Wall
Sgt Frederick Bower
Pvt Bert Elson
Pvt A Craddock
St Paul’s, Dosthill
Sgt Timothy Bishop
Pvt J Coton
Holy Trinity, Edingale
Sgt Alfred Sutton
St Bartholomew’s, Hints
Pvt Edward Keeling
St Peter’s, Stonnall
Pvt J Glover
Amington Cemetery
LCpl Alfred Wilson
AB Cyril Gorton
St Peter’s, Elford
SIG Kenneth Stevens
SS Michael and James, Haunton
AC2 Edward Taft
Wilnecote New Cemetery
Cpl Marjorie Rollason
Fg Off Kenneth Nixon
FSgt Ronald Bagley
LCpl Benjamin Cotterill
If you look at the Commonwealth War Graves Website, you can learn more about each of them, from Scots Guards and Navy seamen to RAF, REME, gunners and even Marmion Cadets. So many lost their lives in the war. It is right we remember them.
Many of us today have never known war and don't even have grandparents and parents who tell the stories of how life was. The Commonwealth War Graves Site has tried to bring some of the histories to life for young people or for anyone with an interest. They have an interactive app running this week featuring men and women who all had roles in the war, from many different backgrounds and share their stories and histories.
Take a look, learn more and browse some of our local heroes.