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Burntwood Family History Group |
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Burntwood and District Servicemen |
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Burntwood Memorial Project - 25th Anniversary 2011
You may have noticed over the past few years or so on the BFHG website, that it contains a very large number of photographs and transcriptions of war memorials from the Burntwood and surrounding areas. Our Webmaster Alan Betts has spent a great deal of time, and used an incredible amount of petrol and shoe leather in his role of photographer to take all the war memorial photograhs, transcribe them and get them online
It seemed very sad that these young men whose names are recorded, have given their lives for their country and all that now remains is an engraved name on a piece of stone. Perhaps, as a Family History Group, we could do better.
Hence the Burntwood and District Memorial Project was born. The idea is to research the lives of as many of the named servicemen in Burntwood and immediate area, in particular those named on the war memorial in Chasetown Memorial Park, High Street, Chasetown. as we can and with the help of their relatives or descendants, compile a mini-biography for each serviceman. These will appear on the website initially and if enough are accumulated, possibly a book produced as well. Other publications have been done along these lines, but none had the personal touch of family involvement Local newspapers have been informed of our project, so that anyone who was related to any of the servicemen named on the war memorial could contact us. There wasn’t a rush, but enough for each Memorial Project volunteer to have a name to work with. Each volunteer member is researching a serviceman who lost his life and are learning as much detail about him as possible. Which of the Armed Forces he served in, the theatre of war in which he fought and how he lost his life. We also hope to learn of his life before he became a serviceman, and who is family were
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TO THE GLORY OF GOD
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AND IN MEMORY OF ALL CHASETOWN
MEN WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR
1914 - 1918 AND PARTICULARLY OF THE FOLLOWING
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY
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A TRIBUTE TO THE MEN OF
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CHASETOWN
WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE
IN THE GREAT WAS 1939 - 1945
MANY FRAGRANT MEMORIES |
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HARRY ALLTREE |
ALFRED BRADSHAW |
PERCY BRADSHAW |
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FREDERICK BRAWN |
JAMES PLUMB |
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WILLIAM BEDDOWS |
THOMAS BROKES |
WILLIAM BUCKLEY |
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CHARLES T. COLLIS |
CHARLES POOLER |
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HARRY CLARIDGE |
WILLIAM DAKAR |
WILLIAM DAVIS |
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RONALD FITCH |
FREDERICK D. RUSHDON |
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HORACE DEELEY |
HERBERT DERRY |
THOMAS DOWNING |
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WILLIAM J. FELLOWS |
KENNETH SMITH |
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GEORGE EVANS |
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HARRY GLEDHILL |
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D. IVAN GLOVER |
A. C. JOHN VYRO |
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ROY HAYWARD |
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ALFRED L. GOUGH |
VICTOR WEST |
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WILLIAM F. KELLY |
JOHN KELLY |
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DENNIS HOWDLE |
JOHN WRIGHT |
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THOMAS LEWIS |
LEONARD MORGAN |
FRED PICKERING |
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J. DEREK WRIGHT |
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WALTER REYNOLDS |
HARRY RADFORD |
THOMAS ROSE |
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HORACE L. MURCOTT |
DANIEL WRIGHT |
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JOHN ROCHELLE |
ALFRED ROSE |
JOHN RUSHTON |
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ALBERT OAKLEY |
GEORGE BIRD |
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REGINALD S. SOPWITH CHARLES F. WILLIAMSON |
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SAMUEL BRAZIER |
RONALD E. FAUNCH |
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HARROLD WILLIAMSON ARTHUR WRIGHT |
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A. C. BAILEY |
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WE WILL NOT FORGET |
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LEST WE FORGET |
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Clicking on a highlighted name above will take you to his mini-biography
As our volunteers have conducted their research, it has become evident that not all the servicemen from Burntwood who gave their lives for their country during the First and Second World Wars have had their names recorded on the Chasetown War Memorial. Some are recorded on war memorials in neighbouring towns or villages, as those are listed below. These lives of these servicemen are still being researched and a mini-biography created for them
Clicking on a highlighted name below will take you to his mini-biography |
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We also decided to extend our biographies to include those who lost their lives in the Second World War
If you are looking for the biography of a serviceman from an area around Burntwood, who fought and lost his life during a conflict,
check the war memorial in that area, and if a biography has been completed on that serviceman, his name will be a link to his biography
We are still looking for more volunteers, as there are still many servciemen to research. If you are a Member, or a non-member who wishes to join my team of researchers, please contact me
If you know of anyone related to a local lad who died in (or as a result of wounds received) in the First World War, please contact me
If you have any information, photographs, documents or medals of a serviceman from Burntwood who lost his life in the First World War, please contact me, Pam Woodburn (01543 684208)
Since the first completed biographies of Burntwood servicemen have appeared on line, people have been in contact with me offering additional information. If you have discovered that you or a member of your family are related to a serviceman that appears on line, and you can provide more information, photographs or documents, please contact me
or you can contact the BFHG at enquiries@bfhg.org.uk and your information will be passed on to me and my team of researchers. Thank you
17th November 2011
As we approach the first anniversary of the Memorial Project, it’s time to examine what we have achieved and what progress has been made so far. This time last year we were considering whether it would be viable to undertake some research on some of the local lads who gave their lives in WW1 and what form this research should take. One year later with the help of a most dedicated band of volunteer helpers and assisted by a small, but nevertheless useful and appreciated, award from Burntwood Town Council, we have completed mini biographies of seven servicemen and these are published, and several more are almost finished.
Our approach to this project has been simple. We advertise wherever possible for descendants or relations of the men whose names appear on local war memorials to contact us and give their permission for us to go ahead with research on their family member. Each one is assigned a researcher who then works on their soldier’s mini- biography and keeps in contact with progress reports.
The best news of all is - There is no charge for this!
But it is very much appreciated if the family member of the soldier writes a few words to be published on the website with the mini-biography when it is complete. At the present time all our volunteer researchers are working on a mini biography and we have a short waiting list, but don’t let that put you off of you have a family member that you would like researched. We will be happy to do it.
In the year 2012 - 2013, as in previous years, we applied to Burntwood Town Council, Grant Aid Scheme for funding. We were again sucessfull, and and we were given a grant of £100 towards our Memorial Project. We are very grateful for this grant and details of this grant, and previous grants can be found on our grants page
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On the 1st December 2011 Dave BROWN of Chasetown donated to the BFHG his copy of The Roll Of The Great War 1914 - 1918 (Walsall and District). We are very grateful for his donation
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In the January 2012 issue (No. 56, page 72) of the 'WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE' magazine, Alan CROSBY wrote an article about the the work of the BFHG Memorial Project team. Read the full text of the article "We've made biographies of WWI servicemen"
In the Cannock and Rugeley Chronicle issue on 12th Januuary 2012, Marrion BRENNAN wrote an article about the work of the BFHG Memorial Project team.
In the Lichfield Mercury issue on 15th November 2012, Alex KELLER also wrote an article about the work of the BFHG Memorial Project team.
Both articles contained information about the Burntwood and District Memorial Project, and our request for more volunteers and information about Burntwood Servicemen.
We are grateful for the publicity in promoting our project on Burntwood and District Servicemen
We hope that many more people from the Burntwood area who lost a relative in the First World War,
will come forward with information, photographs, documents or medals that can help us build a profile on their ancestor
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In 2014 Burntwood
Family History Group has received £4000.00 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to
support the Burntwood and District Memorial Project. Using
money raised through The National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund aims
to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK
and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic
places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest
in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported over 36,000 projects
with more than £5.9bn across the UK
The
Burntwood Family History Group with the co-operation of families continues to
give recognition to those men from the local area and surrounding districts who
gave their lives for their country in World War 1 and whose names appear on
local memorials, by producing printed mini-biographies which are then presented
to the family and to the County Archives
Reyahn
KING, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: “The First World War
touched the lives of everyone in this country. HLF has committed to
funding a variety of projects, from organisations large and small, which will
create a deeper understanding of the heritage of the conflict. The Burntwood and District
Memorial Project will
shed light on a specific aspect of the war and its effect on the families and
communities involved.”
Commenting
on the award, Pam WOODBURN said: We are delighted to have received the support
of the Heritage Lottery Fund. It will enable us to exhibit our work throughout
the area and reach other soldiers’ families as yet uncontacted
If
you want to get involved or you want more information, contact P am WOODBURN
(01543 684208)
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