War Memorial Rededication Service
St. Mary’s Priory Church, Tutbury
Friday 1st July, 2016
Everyone welcome to honour the Fallen
The low key ceremony will be led by the Bishop of Stafford, as was the original dedication in 1920; the Guests of Honour will be the relatives of those from both World Wars who are listed on the Memorial.
Please be at St. Mary’s by 10:30 to be seated by 10:45 –
Help Needed
On July 1st 2016, it will be the Centenary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the worst day for casualties in British military history. The War Memorial in Tutbury, East Staffordshire, carries the names of six men from the village who died that day.
Seven more men, who would have been well known in the village, also died that day as did another 19,227 from Britain and the Commonwealth, with a further 37,000 wounded. By the end of the Battle of the Somme, on November 18th 1916, some 430,000 men were casualties, with a third of them killed.
For this reason, it has been decided to hold the Rededication Service for the newly conserved Tutbury War Memorial on Friday July 1st 2016 to mark the centenary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Over the last few years, Jane Nuth has contacted all the relatives we have been able to trace during her research for the Tutbury Book of Remembrance; each of these relatives will receive an individual invitation in May. If you are related to any of the Fallen on the Tutbury War Memorial and have not been contacted by Jane, then please get in touch (see contact details below).
Invitations will also be sent to those who have helped with the conservation of the Memorial either via funding, activities or just general moral support.
We would also be delighted to see anyone and everyone who would like to join us for this rededication of the Memorial to the Fallen; car parking will be at Tutbury Castle and everyone is requested to be at St. Mary’s Priory Church, Tutbury by 10:30 and seated by 10:45.
For the invited guests, there will be light refreshments in the Priory Suite afterwards.
We are also anxious to trace descendants of those who were involved in the original dedication of the Memorial in May 1920, particularly relatives of the following:
Members of the original 1919/1920 Parish War Memorial Committee:
• Mrs S Walker
• Rev H Bennett
• Rev J Charles
• Mr F A Ashton (?)
• Mr G L White
• Mr S A Lester
Others involved in the 1920 ceremony:
• W.E. Guest and D. Rutherfoord –
• Rev. H. Bennett –
• Mr. Harry Bell, ex-
• Mr. C. Owen –
• Rev. J. Charles –
If you have any information, or would like more information, please contact Jane or Rick Nuth on 01283 810166 or email info@twmpc.org.uk – we would love to hear from you
Issued by the Tutbury War Memorials Preservation Committee
Patron – the Bishop of Stafford
19th April 2016 –
