This year, most Remembrance Sunday services will be not able to go ahead, due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 lockdown. We are commemorating those who fought and died in the two World Wars on our Facebook Page and here on our website.
It is 100 years since the war memorial at All Saints’, Daresbury was unveiled and 100 years since the body of the Unknown Warrior was interred in Westminster Abbey.
The War Memorial in All Saints’ churchyard
The 16′ high cross is made of Portland stone and inscribed with the names of sixteen men who died in WW1 and four men who died in WW2. We know that others from the parish died too, but they are commemorated elsewhere.
A service of dedication was held on Sunday October 31 1920. “In the faith of Jesus Christ we dedicate this cross to the Glory of God and in the memory of His Servants whose names are inscribed thereon, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”
It was rededicated after WW2 and recorded as a grade ll listed building in September 2015. The listing says that is ‘….an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the 20th century”. It now requires some repair and refurbishment and we hope that this will be undertaken over the course of the next year.
Brigadier General Louis John Wyatt
A professional soldier, Louis John Wyatt, married Marion Sloane from Moore. She was living at The Beeches with her parents and sisters and the couple continued to use this as their home during his army life. Louis was promoted to Brigadier General and commanded forces in Flanders in WW1. He was given the task of choosing the body of the Unknown Warrior, which was interred in Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920. You can read more about him here.
After Louis retired, he and Marion went to live in Kirkby Lonsdale. He is buried in the churchyard there. The local community is recounting his story in a talk by Tess Pike via ‘Zoom’ on 12 November. If you would like to hear the talk, details are available here.
The Unknown Warrior
On Remembrance Day this year, Westminster Abbey is holding a special service of remembrance which coincides with the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior. The service will be broadcast on BBC One at 10.45am. There is much more on this story on the abbey’s website here.
The National Army Museum in Chelsea has an exhibition dedicated to story of the Unknown Warrior – ‘Buried Among Kings – the Story of the Unknown Warrior’. It runs until February 14 2021, so maybe travel and visiting restrictions will be eased we will be able to go and see it before it closes. More information is available here.
Telling the stories of the men and women of Daresbury parish who fought, died and lived through the two World Wars
In 2014, we began a project to discover the stories of the parish in WW1 – the soldiers who died, those who came home and the families and villages they left behind. You can find out about it here and also by reading our book ‘Daresbury: the Story of a Parish in WW1’ (email chair@ddhg.org.uk for details of how to purchase the book)
Now we are ready to start our research into WW2. Records are difficult to find – many were destroyed and others are unavailable due to the restrictions of data protection. However, we have the names of many men and women who served in the war and have also listened to tales of life in the parish from our older residents and their families.
The first part of our work on the soldiers can be found here and about the home front, here. If you have any information that you are able to share with us, then please get in touch – email chair@ddhg.org.uk