Wick’s fallen heroes finally remembered

The plaque listing the area’s heroic World War One soldiers who died defending their country was almost confined to the annals of history.

But, following its rescue from a cleaning cupboard in Wick Hall, the memorial plaque has finally been restored to its former glory and is ready to be displayed.

Staff at the Littlehampton Museum, as well as local conservators have been working tirelessly to save the much-valued relic.

And now the commemorative plaque is ready for its grand unveiling during a ceremony at Wick Hall, on Sunday, November 4 – an event which is hoped will galvanise the community.

An addendum has been included to the plaque that will see a further 19 names of those who gave their lives during the Great War but who were omitted on the original list, added.

The ceremony, which will take place at 2pm, at the hall, in Wick Street, will see Littlehampton town mayor Emma Neno in attendance, alongside the vicar of Wick, Rev Stephen Hudson – who will perform a sermon to mark the occasion.

The Littlehampton branch of the Royal British Legion will also be supporting the event.

The scheme was crafted by members of Littlehampton Town Council which received an £800 grant from the War Memorials Trust to repair the plaque.

Councillor Alan Gammon, chairman of the town council’s community resources committee, said: “This is an important occasion to mark a very special project. It is right that the Wick Memorial, originally paid for and erected by the Wick Community, is returned to this most appropriate place of worship.”

It is hoped that the remounted plaque will become a focal point of Wick’s Armistice Day commemorations.