Railwaymen remembered
Members of the family of a World War 1 soldier will gather at an event in Oswestry on Saturday to mark the centenary of his death.
Private John Rodgers of the Royal Sussex Regiment, a goods clerk at Whitchurch Station, was only 18 when he was killed. He has no known grave.
The teenager is one of the 53 men named on the Cambrian Railways memorial in Cae Glas Park which originally stood on the main platform of Oswestry station. He will be remembered at the former Oswestry Railway Station at noon tomorrow along with seven other
Cambrian railways men who fell in August and September 1918.
They were Privates Charles Galliers from Pool Quay, Thomas Cudworth, Machynlleth, Henry Roberts, Oswestry, Arthur Evans, Montgomery, Edward Owen, Welshpool, Lieutenant Charles Hughes from Morda, Second Lieutenant Charles Davies, Oswestry.
Event organiser, David Owen, said ‘Throughout the great War centenary period we have marked each of the deaths and invited the Mayor of Oswestry to light out memorial lamp and lay ceramic poppies made by students at the North Shropshire College.
"We understand that 15 of John Rodgers' family will be coming from as far as Liverpool and Oxford to attend Saturday's event."
The remembrance service begins at noon and will be led by Rev. Dr. John Chesworth. To recognise the area served by the Cambrian company there will also be prayers in Welsh. Music will be provided by Oswestry Wild Singers.
"Both world wars will be remembered and a convoy of vehicles of the Shropshire and Mid Wales Military Vehicles Group will arrive at the station during the morning.
"Members of the public will be invited to record a name of a Shropshire Great War casualty for the One Name One Voice audio project."
The station will open from 11am and admission to the event is free. Steam trains will be running and Buffers restaurant will be open.
