The stories of those who fought and died in the two world wars are now being shared on a new website to preserve their memory forever.
The case of a Huddersfield soldier is one of the first to be featured on the free portal called For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen developed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).
Arnold Fawcett joined the postal service in Huddersfield in April 1909 and became a sorting clerk and typist.
After the First World War began Arnold joined the army, serving with the London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). He went missing during the fighting on October 6, 1916, on the Somme and was confirmed to have died the next day.
Arnold (pictured below) was 23 when he was killed and unmarried so his savings and pension went to his mother, Ellinor Fawcett, in Huddersfield.
Arnold has no known grave but his name is on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France which bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before March 20, 1918, and have no known grave.
More than 90% lost their lives between July and November 1916.
Another local soldier also already on the portal is Lt James Trevor Riley who played for Huddersfield Old Boys Rugby Team and in the 1913/14 season – the last before the war – the team was renowned as one of the best in the country.
Lt Riley, who lived in Halifax, served with the 1st/4th Battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and showed immense bravery, being wounded three times on the day he was killed near Thiepval on September 3, 1916.
The Commission is urging people to come forward with stories about a relative or someone they may have researched who is commemorated at one of its cemeteries and memorials around the world. The Commission commemorates almost 1.7 million individuals at 23,000 locations in more than 150 countries and territories.
CWGC director Claire Horton said: “The launch of For Evermore marks an incredibly important milestone in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s mission.
“For Evermore will provide an opportunity for future generations to connect with their own history and learn more about those who served during the world wars.
“By collating these stories in what will become the definitive resource of the stories of those who died in the world wars, we have created an enduring tribute to the men and women from across the Commonwealth who gave their lives and we ensure that they will never be forgotten.”
For Evermore has been funded by a grant to the CWGF from the Post Office Remembrance Fellowship charity which aims to be a living memorial to the General Post Office men and women who died in World War One and World War Two. It works with other charities, making grants to help learning, remembrance, heritage and compassion.
To read the stories and find out more go to For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen at www.cwgc.org/stories
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
