Chertsey Town War Memorial turns 100 in October 2021

Welcome to the first blog in a series to be published ahead of the centenary of the Chertsey Town War Memorial in October 2021. We are seeking your participation in this commemoration.

The memorial next to St Peter’s Church in Windsor Street, Chertsey was unveiled at a grand ceremony on 30 October 1921. Displayed are the names of 128 men and one woman from the Great War, plus a further 63 names added after 1945.

These blogs will uncover some long-forgotten stories, not only about those who lost their lives during the Great War, but also about the bereaved families and those who returned.

The blogs will also examine what other forms of commemoration were considered, how the final memorial design and site were arrived at, and the unveiling ceremony. These stories will shed light on what Chertsey was like as a community one hundred years ago.

Although we will be drawing upon archived documents and newspapers from the period, we want the blogs to include testimonies from people today who have family and other connections to the Chertsey Town War Memorial.

We want to hear from you so please get in touch if you have any stories, images, memorabilia, or other information relating to:

• Those named on the Chertsey Town War Memorial
• Bereaved relatives
• Those who fought and died but whose names were omitted from the final list of names on the memorial
• Those who returned from the Great War
• Those involved with the planning and building of the memorial
• Those who attended the unveiling ceremony

We would also welcome stories about your own involvement with the Chertsey Town War Memorial, or the remembrance of war generally, in more recent years.

Any contributions we include in the blogs will of course be acknowledged.

You can contact us using this form, or connect via Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks for your interest and we look forward to hearing from you.

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