School’s memorial to our fallen heroes

A ROLL of Honour listing the names of Gainsborough servicemen killed in the two World Wars has been unveiled at a local school.

It is the culmination of years of work and research by staff and pupils at Trent Valley Academy, led by assistant principal Peter Bradshaw.

“The basis of the list of names for both Rolls of Honour is due to the excellent research undertaken by Mr RH Johnson in the early 1980s,” he said.

“He read through every wartime issue of the Standard’s predecessor, the Gainsborough News and wrote out every article referring to the death of a local serviceman.”

Then 10 years ago the school organised its first battlefield visit to France.

“The more we started investigating, the more we came up with,” he continued.

“Local people provided photos and other information and extra names that needed to be added to the lists.”

“But 10 years on and we are still not 100 per cent certain that we have got all the names. But we are close as we can manage at the moment.”

And since the rolls have been on display in the entrance hall of the school, some pupils and staff have discovered members of their family listed among the names.

“A lot of pupils have been coming to look at the rolls and have gone home and asked their parents about names they have seen,” he continued.

“It has made them ask questions about their family history and some have found relatives up there.”

“We are going to France again in April with the pupils.”

This is the first time that a list of fallen servicemen from both wars has been listed together in the town.

And Michael Wragg from the Royal British Legion was over the moon to see it finished.

“I support them 1,000 per cent,” he said. “It’s a job that when they started we wondered if they would ever be able to finish it, but they have. It is sobering to see all those names of those who were killed in both World Wars up on the wall. It is a lesson that needs to be remembered by everybody and hope that we do not have more of it.”

Although it is the most complete it has ever been, the school is still keen to hear from anyone with any information which may help them with Rolls of Honour.

Mr Bradshaw added: “If anyone has got any information they would like to share we would be more than happy for them to get in touch.”

The school has been working closely with the Friends of the Cemetery Chapel, and the Rolls of Honour will be on display at the chapel over Remembrance weekend.

People can view the rolls in the chapel on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th November from 10am-3pm.

There will also be information to mark the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion and the restoration of the headstones of two Royal Flying Corps officers.

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