Last Shrewsbury service to be held in memory of soldiers in First World War
Shrewsbury's civic church, St Chad’s will hold its last weekly service to remember those who died in the First World War from the county at the end of the month after five years of commemoration.
The project will have seen every one of the 5,286 men and women commemorated on Shropshire memorials will have been remembered by name and their sacrifice honoured.
The church has hosted a weekly service since August 27, 2014, to commemorate lives lost in The Great War, with the names of those who died in that week 100 years ago read out and a candle lit.
Reserves Day, tomorrow, will be the final service in this series. The special service which will also mark the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles, the treaty that finally ended the war.
Anna Turner, Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, will attend the service and lay a wreath on behalf of the whole ceremonial county. The installation, One Name One Voice, will also be running in the churchyard. This is a sound installation to commemorate the Shropshire men and women killed during the First World War. A unique voice for each name on the Roll of Honour has been recorded to give each person an individuality.
Mother Yejide Peters, vicar of St Chad’s with St Mary’s and St Alkmund’s said: "St Chad's has been a part of the fabric of Shropshire for more than a millennium. Moreover, as the first church in the United Kingdom to sign the Armed Forces Covenant, it is our honour and privilege to join with the wider community as we give thanks to God for those brave men and women who lost their lives as military personnel in the First World War.
Accurate
"Acknowledging these extraordinary sacrifices, we join with faithful people everywhere and pray for that time when there will be a lasting peace on Earth."
St Chad’s produced a Roll of Honour for Shropshire and presented it to the county in 2014. Researchers Phil Morris and Neil Evans dedicated 15 years of research to ensure Shropshire has the most accurate and up-to-date memorial to remember all those who lost their lives in the conflict.
It is the information from this Roll that has informed the weekly services. Copies of the Roll have been presented to schools and libraries throughout the county and the main Roll of Honour is kept in the Military Chapel at St Chad’s
Church warden Peter Flint said: “St Chads has been, is, and will continue to be honoured and proud to be associated with the armed forces, including in particular the hosting of services and other events commemorating all those men and women who gave their lives serving our country in the two world wars and other conflicts around the world.”
This final service will also provide the last chance to see the Shropshire Centenary Poppy Sculpture, a joint venture between St Chad’s Church and the Shropshire Poppy Appeal. They worked with two local artists, Lyn Evans and Nik Burns, along with Martin Phillips of Heritage Schools.
More than 80 Primary schools in Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin helped to create the artwork which has toured throughout the county since it was unveiled in June last year.
