New Saltash memorials planned for 77 missing names

The World War One and Two memorials at St Nicholas and St Faith Church

Seventy-seven soldiers who fought in the World War One and Two are to be included in new memorials in Saltash.

Peter Clements, who has an interest in war graves and war memorials, has been carrying out research on the missing names since 2016 and has had them verified by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission.

Saltash Town Council is now fundraising to pay for two stone benches to be placed next to the World War One memorial at St Nicholas and St Faith Church engraved with the missing names.

The council said it would pay the full amount of the cost of the benches even though only about £300 had been raised so far.

Peter Clements said the names on war memorials were paid for by loved ones

Peter Clements was asked to do research in 2016 on the Saltash casualties who died in the Battle of the Somme.

He discovered there were 10 and only seven had been remembered on war memorials in the town.

"I thought I must investigate this to try and find out why, what I really didn't understand was just what I was letting myself in for," he said.

"I eventually found there are 77 names of casualties not on Saltash and St Stephen's War memorials."

Mr Clements said some names were missing because they had died after the list of casualties was compiled.

"The war memorials were funded by subscription; if you gave a subscription your loved one's name was brought to the attention of the list compiler and finished up on the war memorial."

"I expect a lot of people didn't know this list was being compiled, and so names got left off," said Mr Clements.

Saltash councillor Richard Bickford said the council wanted to follow the same tradition of asking people for contributions to pay for the memorial benches.

"The town council has already agreed to back the project so we will pick up the balance of what's not picked up through donations," he said.

The cost of the new memorial benches with the engraved names of the fallen is more than £14,000.

Barry Brooking said it had been a passion for him to get the missing names officially remembered

Barry Brooking, who has been campaigning for Saltash's fallen to be officially recognised, said he was now hopeful it would happen in his lifetime.

"I served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Marine Commandos and members of my family were killed in the war," he said.

"When I was on active service I saw my colleagues some of whom were badly wounded and killed."

"It's always been a passion of mine to ensure those who have fallen on our behalf in active service, and the like, be properly remembered," said Mr Brooking.

Forty-four soldiers who died in World War One and 33 soldiers who died during World War Two are missing off memorials in Saltash.

World War One memorial in front of World War Two memorial at St Nicholas and St Faith Church