Village soldiers’ stories are told

There are 93 names on the Roll of Honour board in the village hall, including those of 14 men who died.

Members of the History Society have spent almost a year investigating the stories of the men, and their exhibition will continue throughout the summer in the Leigh Chapel of St Mary the Virgin church, Stoneleigh.

Among the guests were descendants of several of the “Stoneleigh soldiers.” The oldest amongst them was Ted Morris, aged 92, whose father Albert won the Military Medal for exceptional bravery in the field. Other guests included members of several local history societies who are assembling their own exhibitions to commemorate the centenary of the war.

A special cake was baked by Colleen Oldham of Stoneleigh WI. A poignant slideshow of photographs and documents was shown throughout the evening, and the Stoneleigh Male Voice Choir sang typical songs from the war.

Sheila Woolf, chair of the history society, said: “It was a very special evening for the village community and we hope that in the coming years even more information about the men will become available.”