THE lives of men local to the former Craven area of the Hodder Valley are to be remembered in an exhibition in Slaidburn Village Hall commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, in 1918.

Slaidburn Archive is planning the commemoration of those who served in WW1and has spent some time gathering information of the men.

Also to be launched on the day of the exhibition will be a book published by the Archive with many details of the lives and war service of the 135 men who are listed on the memorials from the villages of Slaidburn, Newton in Bowland, Dunsop Bridge, Dale Head and Tosside.

Thirty six of these men gave up their lives.

Margaret Brenchley, of Slaidburn Archive said: "The Parishes of the Hodder Valley were fortunate in that their memorials not only recognised the sacrifice of those who died but also those who returned after the war frequently injured in some way.

"The war records of many of the men were lost during a bombing raid on London in the Second World War and so there is more information on some men than others.

"It is proving difficult to trace any information about several men listed, in particular John Loxam, George Wilkinson (not a local Wilkinson) who worked at Knowlmere Manor and won the Military Medal and Thomas Wilkinson who was a local man.

"There were many Thomas Robinsons in the area in the early 1900s but which one was conscripted into the Royal Garrison Artillery in May 1918?

"George Ashburner (Dunsop Bridge and Whitewell memorial wrongly recorded as Ashbourne) and John Foster from Tosside were both killed in action but it has been impossible to trace their families who are believed to have links to the Lake District."

The event takes place on Saturday, November 10. Throughout the day there will be speakers on a variety of topics such as the story of the six “Tunstill’s men” who were among the first volunteers from the area in 1914 and the day-to-day struggles of a nursing sister in one of the casualty clearing stations not far from the front to deal with the wounded and dying.

Anyone who has any information about any of the men on the three memorials that they would be willing to share are asked to contact the Archive on 01200 446161. or email: enquiries@slaidburnarchive.org

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