A former soldier has researched the stories of more than 1,000 people whose names are listed on the Harrogate war memorial.
Graham Roberts is now offering to give the information for free to families of those who died in the two world wars.
There are 774 names from the First World War and 331 from the Second World War listed on the stone obelisk beneath the inscriptions ‘Pro Patria’ and ‘Their name liveth for evermore’.
Thousands of people turn out in all weathers each year on Remembrance Sunday, as they did last weekend, to pay their respects.
Harrogate-born Mr Roberts, who spent 37 years as an army reservist, has managed to find details of all but about 40 of the names on the memorial.
He said he “wouldn’t like to think” how much time he has spent on the task. He said:
“I’ve always been interested in military history. The kick start was seeing the names of casualties attached to lamp posts on the street where they used to live in 2018.”
Mr Roberts, who is now retired, used the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website as a first port of call as well as other resources, such as the website Ancestry.
He said he was able to find precise details of some who died but only sparse details for others.
His research threw up some fascinating tales and anomalies. He said:
“There are some who should perhaps not be listed at all – being from further afield, e.g. Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge, or who had rather tenuous links with Harrogate, for example they lived in Leeds but played for Harrogate football team, landed here in an air race; and some who died well after the wars had ended.
“There is even one who was reported killed in 1917, but who has a gravestone in Canada dated 1947.”
Read more:
- A foggy day of remembrance across the Harrogate district
- Thousands pay their respects as Ripon remembers the fallen
He added:
“In addition, I have discovered about 20-30 from each of the world wars whose names probably should appear on the memorial – they either lived or had previously lived in Harrogate, or their parents lived in Harrogate.
“The youngest I’ve found have been a 15-year-old soldier and a 17-year-old girl killed in an explosion at the Barnbow shell factory in Leeds.”
Mr Roberts said he was happy to share any information with family descendants. He can be contacted at Graham.R2467@outlook.com.
He added he was keen to receive any information on the 40 or so people whose details remain elusive.