Following the Town Council’s request in September 2016 for new names to be added to the town’s war memorial, it will be considering adding the details of two servicemen in January 2017.
A local resident has proposed that the details of Thomas William Walter and Lance Franklyn Edwards should be added. Thomas Walter was killed in action in 1951 in the Korean War whilst serving in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and seems to have been the only local serviceman to have died in the conflict. Lance Edwards was born in Midsomer Norton in 1919 and died in 1942 when his Hurricane crashed near Yeovilton. He was a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve and was buried in the Cemetery in the town, although no inscription appears on the headstone.
Town Councillor Alastair Slade served in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and represents the Town Council on the town’s joint working group for Remembrance Sunday. He said: “The War Memorial is a key community asset in the town and we are very keen to make sure that it continues to serve as a focal point to remember those who gave their lives. Extending the scope of the memorial to cover more recent conflicts, as well as making sure we include anyone who was previously missed, is an important part of our role as the memorial’s custodian for the town.”
The Council will be asked to make a decision on January 9th 2017. There is still time for anyone in the community to put forward other details before then – the Town Clerk will be able to include any additional names received by 6th January 2017. He can be contacted on: 01761 418701 or by email at: [email protected]
This does not mean that new information about other servicemen and women will not be able to be added in the future, but the Town Council is planning to carry out some restoration in 2017 and will add any agreed names during the work, for which it will seek a grant to help with costs.