Five more names to be added ahead of the First World War centenary commemorations in 2018
Lyme Regis war memorial is to be enhanced ahead of First World War centenary commemorations in 2018.
The town council and the local branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) are working together to amend the monument in George’s Square.
The project will involve adding five names, as well as the rank and service or regiment of the fallen.
The updating will be completed ahead of next year’s commemorations, when the nation will mark 100 years since the end of the First World War in 1918.
The project is the culmination of seven years’ research by Lyme Regis RBL members Vernon Rattenbury and David Humphrey into the details of local servicemen who died during both world wars.
The town council, which owns the memorial, has set aside £13,000 for the work.
Lyme Regis RBL chairman Ian Marshall said: “Whilst the RBL do not have a mandate to build or maintain war memorials, we felt so strongly that this omission should be rectified that the British Legion took on the role of project manager with a view to proposing how the new names could be added.
“It was proposed that the current engraved tablets should be replaced with new ones incorporating the additional names.
“It was also proposed that the names of all those honoured should also have their rank and service displayed as we felt it was historically important to record this additional information to aid future historical research or to allow relatives to better identify those so honoured.”
The town council’s operations manager Matt Adamson-Drage said: “As a recent ex-serviceman myself, it is a subject close to my heart.
“It is unbelievable that these men who gave so much have gone unrecognised for so long.”
The working group, formed specifically to manage the war memorial project and to oversee commemoration events in 2018, has commissioned Axminster stonemason Andy Brooker to create two new grey granite plaques.
People whose relatives are named on the existing memorial, or who believe their relatives’ names should be included on the new one, should contact Mr Adamson-Drage on 01297 445175 or operationsmanager@lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk
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