A church in Peasedown St John has decided to go the extra mile to remember the village’s war heroes.
St John’s Parish Church is the current home of Peasedown’s official War Memorial – commemorating those who lost their lives in both World War One and World War Two.
Now, thanks to the dedication of one church member, the details of those listed on the memorial can be found online.
Heroes include Private Thomas Gay from Bloomfield Terrace who was killed in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, and Able Seaman Frederick Garrett – who was on HMS Blackwood in 1944 when it was torpedoed in the English Channel by U-Boat 674. The explosion blew off the bows but the Blackwood initially remained afloat. There were 58 causalities including Able Seaman Frederick Garrett.
Church member and History Teacher Tom Morgan commented: “The details of our war heroes have always been in a folder at the back of church. Recognising that the details contained inside needed to be shared to celebrate our heritage and remember those who have fought for our country, we decided to publish them online.”
The publication contains all the names on the War Memorial. The bronze First World War Memorial Plaque was paid for by public subscription and dedicated on 24th June 1928. Public subscription also funded a second bronze Memorial Plaque in honour of those who Peasedown men who laid down their lives in the Second World War. This was dedicated by the Bishop of Taunton on 5th July 1953 and unveiled by Brigadier Arnold Cazenove.
Local Vicar Revd Matthew Street added: “Many of the families of our war heroes no longer live in the village, or even in the country. By publishing the War Memorial details online we can ensure that the
memories of these men and women are shared for as long as possible, with people all around the world.”
For more details and to see the publication visit www.stjsgroup.com.
St John’s Church is part of the ‘St J’s Group’ Anglican benefice, which covers the parish churches of St John’s Peasedown, St Julian’s Wellow, St James’ Foxcote and St Julian’s Shoscombe and is named after our three patron saints.
