Thrapston War Memorial Research Group
Book Launched on 7th November 2009 "In the Springtime of their Lives"Click here for Corrections and additions In 2006 we both started thinking about the names read out at the Remembrance Day Service held at St. James Church. Six months later, a chance conversation brought us together, and the Group was born. We are part of Thrapston District Historical Society. Our aim was to write short biographies on each person identified as belonging to Thrapston who has died in armed conflict since 1914, although there is a hope to eventually go further back into history. (List of war casualties) Currently, we have found 3 Rolls of Honour in town, at St. James Church, the Baptist Church and the Town Council Offices. A further 2 have been found mentioned in local papers - The Thrapston Institute and the Thrapston and District Rifle Shooting Club. If anyone has any idea where these may have gone to, we would be pleased to hear from you. The War Memorial in St. James Church, carved on oak panels, names 44 men from World War 1,11 from World War 2 and 1 from the recent Iraq conflict. Specific to World War 1, a further 4 men are named in the Roll of Honour held at the Church, 1 on the Great European War Roll of Honour at the Baptist Church, 2 on the Smith & Grace Roll of Honour held at Thrapston Town Council Office and a further 7 men have been identified through local newspapers published during the War. All these men are named in the list of war casualties. Of these 58 World War 1 casualties, we have pictures of 48. The missing ones are Thomas Barrick, James Edward Cobley, Basil Frederick Emery, George Alfred Langley, Horace William Reeve, John Samuel Smith, John Isaac Ashton Sutcliffe, Leonard Throssell, George Abery Unger and Arthur William Wright. One picture is also missing from World war 2, Frank Arthur Gifford. If you are able to help with pictures of any of these, we would be most grateful. We received funding from "Awards for All" which enabled us to undertake "distance" research at places like the National Archives, Kew and the British Library Newspaper Collection at Colindale, Middlesex. Our book entitled "In the Springtime of their Lives", a phrase found in the illuminated Roll of Honour in St. James Church was published on 7 November 2009. Early plans are in place for a follow-up publication. In this we hope to discover the Boer War Roll of Honour (1899 - 1902) and, if possible, local casualties of earlier conflicts. If you have any information about local men who did not survive pre-World War 1 conflicts, please contact Eric. We will also be looking at how Thrapston was affected during both World Wars, using reports from local newspapers as a basis. Eddie is hoping to research the local Home Guard, ARP and Bomb Disposal Units. If you can help, please contact him. Our contact details are - |
