Village WW1 heroes proudly recorded

Pictured is Sgt Fred Greaves, who was born in Killamarsh and died in Brimington, and was honoured with a Victoria Cross for his bravery during World War One.

Sally Mullins and her husband were so moved by the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission they set out in 1998 to build a comprehensive body of work about the Great War and Brimington’s soldiers and fallen soldiers.

Sally said: “With little knowledge of the men of our village who fought and died we put our new computer to the test.”

As they recorded 120 names from the Brimington Memorial Gates it became apparent there were more not recorded and following research and visits to over 30 cemeteries in France and Belgium they produced the website www.brimington-memorial.co.uk. They also visited Talbot House, in Belgium, where soldiers stayed and they said it was like walking in the footseps of heroes.

Pictured is Sally Mullins with a picture of Brimington World War One hero Fred Greaves during one of her research trips on the continent.

The website has names and backgrounds of many soldiers including Sidney Lawrence Baker, of Station Road, Brimington, who was killed in Ypres and Pte Horace Fred Stott who was Brimington’s youngest soldier to die at 17 years-old.

Survivors also get a mention including Killamarsh-born Sgt Fred Greaves who received a Victoria Cross medal and lived and died in Brimington in 1973. Sally explained over 800 men linked with the village joined-up, or were conscripted from 1916 but the actual number of men who lost their lives during the war has officially not be accurately recorded. Almost every road in Brimington was affected by the war. Burnell Street lost six young soldiers, Queen Street lost eight and Victoria Street lost eleven.

Sally added: “There is still Germany, Gallpoli, Jerusalem and Africa to go to before we can really complete our task.”