Call for soldiers to be added to Dymock war memorial

Ian Bruce said it was important that people remembered the sacrifices that the men had made

A group of former soldiers are campaigning for the names of two men to be added to their village's war memorial.

Edward Jeynes and Stanley Watkins' names appear on the roll of honour in St Mary's Church in Dymock, but not on the memorial.

Veterans are trying to raise £12,000 to improve the monument and have the names of the fallen soldiers added.

Appeal chairman Colin Bell said it was a "travesty" that must be reversed.

Colin Bell standing in front of the roll of honour at St Mary's Church in Dymock

Mr Bell, who served in the Royal Signals, said Mr Jeynes, 48, died in World War One and Mr Watkins, 53, in World War Two.

"Edward Jeynes was a blacksmith prior to joining up. He died in service. Stanley Watkins was killed in action and was another local guy.

"The fact that they are not represented on the memorial is an absolute travesty. It's wrong, they should be there," added Mr Bell.

Veterans are aiming to raise £12,000 to restore the memorial and have the names of the fallen soldiers added

The veterans are researching why the names of the two men are on the church roll of honour, which lists those from Dymock who were killed or missing in world wars, but not on the memorial.

They are organising various fundraising events in the village and plan to march the Dymock half-marathon next year.

Edward Jeynes died in World War One at the age of 48

Ian Bruce, a former major in the Royal Logistics Corps, said it was important that people understood what the men had done.

He said: "Those people left here in a very different time to what we know today, not knowing where they were going, what they were going to be doing, or whether they were even going to be coming back.

"These two individuals should be on that memorial so that everyone understands the final sacrifice that they made."

The group hopes to unveil the names added to the memorial on Remembrance Sunday 2023.