A historic village war memorial is set to be re-dedicated this summer following a major restoration project that also honours forgotten heroes. The monument in Scothern has been carefully refurbished after decades of weather damage left the concrete plinth unstable. The official ceremony will take place on July 16 at 10.45am.
Funding and Restoration Work
Scothern Parish Council funded the vital restoration work with the help of a grant from West Lindsey District Council. Workmen have turned the memorial 90 degrees so the road can be safely closed during future Remembrance services.
Missing Names Added
The project has also provided a special opportunity to add three missing names of local people who lost their lives. One name belongs to Charlotte Fox, who worked at the Barnbow ammunition factory in Leeds during the First World War. She sadly died following a massive explosion on December 5, 1916, which killed 35 women instantly. The workers were known as canaries because the chemical TNT turned their skin bright yellow. Charlotte was brought back to her home village to be buried next to her parents in the churchyard.
Howitt Key Wilkinson is the second name to be added to the monument. He worked for local newspapers before joining the 11th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment at the age of 17. He tragically died a year later on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, and his body was never found.
The third name belongs to Harry Smalley, who joined the Navy as a stoker at just 16 years old. He died in October 1917 when his ship was sunk while escorting a convoy of merchant vessels from Norway.
Additional Memorial
A fourth local man named Fred Bell will also be remembered with a new brass plaque inside the bell tower of St Germain’s church. He was a passionate local bell ringer who passed away just four days after the end of the war.
History and Community Event
The original monument was first unveiled on May 8, 1920, in front of a large crowd of residents and ex-soldiers. Organisers are looking forward to welcoming the community back to the site to see the restored landmark this July in Scothern.
