Those that lived to tell the tale

The War Memorials Launch of the Digital War Memorials Project and the New Project Exhibition: Those that lived to tell the tale took place on Thursday 9^th November at Marshfield Community Centre. The project commemorates the contribution of the local people during the First World War and the challenges they faced.

Cllr. Ian Blair, Chair of South Gloucestershire Council and Cllr Tony Crouch, Chair, Marshfield Parish Council and City of Bath World Heritage Site Manager launched the event and 33 children of Marshfield Primary school sang two WW1 songs to commemorate the fallen..

Marshfield War Memorial - Launch of the Digital War Memorial Website and Exhibition 3

Capturing that moment of curiosity

The family and military history of each name on the South Gloucestershire war memorials is being researched. Each completed memorial is given a QR code which is placed close by so that the information can be instantly viewed. Some have details that enable the identification of the local houses where they lived. This can be viewed at: sites.southglos.gov.uk/war-memorials/

QR codes are now installed on 12 South Gloucestershire memorials with more in the pipeline.

Fantastic work by current volunteers, but more researchers and collators are urgently needed for this part of the project. Please contact us for further information. (Cherry Hubbard, Project Engagement Officer. cherry.hubbard@southglos.gov.uk)

Those that lived to tell the tale'

At the launch Councillor Ian Blair, Chair, South Gloucestershire Council spoke of the success of the first and second project travelling exhibitions. The first has had a footfall audience of 819,600 at 28 venues since it was first shown in 2014. The second exhibition has had a footfall of 72,000 travelling around 16 venues across South Gloucestershire 2016. Comments have included: ‘Great Display. Thought provoking’; ‘Dramatically improved my understanding of South Gloucestershire in WW1, did not realise we had such a connection.’; ‘Really brought home to me the impact of WW1 on local communities’

These comments show that the public have greatly appreciated the exhibitions and what they have set out to do.

Councillor Tony Crouch, Chair, Marshfield Parish Council and City of Bath World Heritage Site Manager spoke about the third WW1 travelling exhibition, it is about 'Those that lived to tell the tale', local people, whose experiences changed their lives forever. Some went on to brilliant careers; some held fast to their local communities, others were unable to pick up the pieces. One lady from Little Sodbury, the “Thankful Village”, even retrieved her wounded husband from the front by herself, so determined was she that they would live out their days in their village together, which they did.