War Memorial at Drayton Meadows

Barbers' developer partners, David Wilson Homes, have installed a memorial at their Drayton Meadows development in Market Drayton. The memorial pays tribute to the World War I soldiers who received gallantry medals and survived the war.

10 trees have been planted in the memorial area on the development which is located off the A53, with a soldier named for each tree, marked with a plaque. An information display which tells visitors about the soldiers’ life, service and death has also been installed.

The memorial came about as local resident, Pru Stones realised that while soldiers who died during the war were commemorated by the town’s war memorial, and book ‘The Men of Market Drayton who lost their lives in World War I’, the men who returned home with gallantry awards weren’t named.

Pru then undertook a research project, to track down the men’s history and David Wilson Homes installed the memorial area, for new and existing residents to use as a place of reflection and commemorate the 10 soldiers.

The memorial area has now been officially opened by Pru, alongside the Mayor and Mayoress of Market Drayton, Cllr Roger Smith and his wife Margaret. Residents are encouraged to visit the memorial, which is located on the right hand side of the entrance to the development off the A53.

Managing Director of David Wilson Homes, Dominic Harman was on hand to open the memorial space, he said, “We are so proud that we could honour Market Drayton’s war heroes this way. It is incredible to hear their stories and now their history is there for all to see and remember.”

Cllr Roger Smith added, “I totally agree with Mr Harman’s comments and I was glad to see a memorial to the brave men of Market Drayton installed by the new housing development.”

The names of the men who are part of the memorial are as follows:

• Lieut. Albert Charles Allman, R.N.V. D.S.O, 1891-1963
• Colour Sgt.-Major Joseph Faulkner, 5^th Royal Berks Regiment D.C.M., 1894-1965
• Sgt. Ethelbert Hancock, 54022 18^th Infantry Batt. Canadian Force M.M., 1893-1957
• Pte. John Patrick Hankey, 9403 King’s Shropshire Light Infantry D.C.M., 1891-1923
• Sgt. Ernest David Holland, 200024 King’s Shropshire Light Infantry D.C.M., 1887-1970
• Pte. John Patrick McKeon, 6843 1/4^th Kings Shropshire Light Infantry M.M., 1883-1931
• 1^st Class Boy Edwin Arthur Ogden R.N. D.S.M, 1900-1963
• L/C Arthur B. Storr, 57896 Machine Gun Corp M.M., 1887-1953
• Corp. William Alfred Wade, 142255 38^th Welsh Heavy Batt. Formerly King’s Shropshire Light Infantry 15318 M.M., 1898- Poss. 1969
• Pte. Ernest William Watkin, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry M.M., 1895-1974