First World War soldiers from two Shrewsbury communities remembered

Two Roll of Honour frames have been put together to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War and the sacrifice made by two communities in Shrewsbury.

All Saint’s Castlefields and St. Michael’s have two Great War Memorials representing a total of 151 servicemen who died in the Great War 1914-18.

A great sacrifice in just two small parishes, as was the case up and down the land, the frame contains servicemen who served in all three armed Services, and a wide range of units are represented, but a vast majority served in the local County Regiment of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, with many of the local lads enlisting in Kitchener’s New Army, known as the “Pals Battalions” the thinking was that men would be more inclined to enlist in the Army if they knew that they were going to serve alongside their friends and colleagues from the factories and clubs and society’s.

The railway was a large employer to locals from Castlefields which shows in the casualties recorded in the Memorial Frames.

Many of the streets and houses in Castlefields are still standing today which shows the extent of the loss to families both in Castlefields and St. Michael’s, many whom lost more than one family member.

The two frames represent 79 men from Castlefields and 72 men from St. Michael’s, the format is laid out with the first casualty right up to the last death this clearly shows day, month and, year from October 1914 up until last deaths in May of 1919, so you will see how this would have unfolded and affected both parishes throughout the War and after.

Although only 51 photographs have been found for All Saint’s and 48 for St. Michael’s, it is hoped others will come to light in the future, until then the missing faces are represented by the poppy flower the symbol of sacrifice.

Father Paul Lockett vicar of All Saint’s and St. Michael’s Parish will on the 11 November dedicate the two Roll of Honour frames which will be placed in All Saint’s church as a lasting memory to the fallen from the local community.

Article by Philip Smith-Morris