War Memorial Brings Some Good News!

I place on the page a request I have received following the appeal's that I made with regard to the War Memorial in Wednesfield. Paul Johnson has contacted me and I have passed the information on. With good fortune we may be able to add another Wednesfield man who gave his life for our democracy to the plaque being prepared to replace the vandalised one.

Here is what Paul Johnson wrote to me."I was reading tonights Express and star, when I read about the appaling news about the cenotaph in Wednesfield. I was born and bred in Wednesfield. In fact My uncle Arthur Johnson was the Mayor twice I think in the sixty's. My reason for this e-mail is that my mother Irene Collins and her brother Ivor, Had another brother called Frank Who was killed in action in Eygpt in the second world war. I remember my uncle Ivor campaigning to get his name put on the cenotaph, as it had been left off. He eventually got it put on a seperate stone apparently, with a couple of others that had been missed.

The article in tonight's paper said you wanted family's to contact you if they new of family members names that had been left off the original.This is I believe one of those names. The information I have to hand is as follows. Gunner Frank Collins 11265018 Royal artillery. But I can get his age, and date of his death if you need it. I know it said in the paper that you needed the information by the end of July, but it wasn't in the paper till tonight 1st Aug. I am also an active committee member at my local R.B.L. in Blackheath, West Midlands. And told the branch chairman of my concern of having my uncles name on the cenotaph, as I lay a poppy cross at our cenotaph every year on behalf of my mother, who is now 91yrs old. And her other brother Ivor has passed away. And he said he would look into it for me, so if you get this info twice I apologise. I would really like to see his name where it belongs. Not only to see his name in its rightful place, but as a legacy to my uncle Ivor who battled for years to have his name added. I hope you can help me to get this sorted."

Although I started this campaign. I want to thank the Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton North East Emma Reynolds. Having been told of the reason's for the request's has also added her political weight to the campaign. It is clearly working. Thank You Emma!

Finally at a PACT meeting in Wednesfield this week Sergeant Causer of Wednesfield Police informed the gathering, that the Police had given a substantial sum towards the replacement of the vandalised war memorial. The money was raised as a payment to the Police following the television 'Doctor's' programme, where an episode was filmed using local police establishments. This is a really great donation.

Can I thank Sergeant Causer and his force for being so generous. Out of the pain of losing the original plaque, much good is coming from the way it is being replaced.

I am sure Wednesfield will not forget the actions now being taken to deliver a renewed Garden of Remembrance perhaps in time for the Annual Rememberance Day service in November. Let's keep our fingers crossed!