Invite to commemorate First World War ancestors with memorial plaque

A memorial commemorating those who died from the Tividale and Rowley Regis area proudly hangs on the wall at Tividale Football Club.

It was completed last year to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.

But now, rather than just a list of names, the brains behind the project, Sue Taylor and Ken Criddle, wanted to delve a little deeper into the history of those who gave their lives for their country and families are being given the chance to honour their Great War ancestors.

They are offering to make a commemorative plaque for family members of those on the list, containing details of their lives and how they met their deaths.

Prototypes have been made based on their own family members and they are now hoping to attract the interest of more people living in the area.

Sue, a former club secretary who is now retired, said: "Ten have already been done, three are my family members and we have also done them for people who are interested.

"We have had one or two people saying 'can you do one for my great-grandad?'

"They can choose whatever picture they want to go with it and there is a choice of five frames.

"A few years ago I saw my uncle's grave and I wanted to find out information, and I thought we could do individuals if anyone is interested."

Each of the plaques will cost £30.

The plaques will contain as much information about each soldier as is known.

Ken, who is also a member of Tividale FC, has spent hours on websites such as Ancestory.com and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission pages attempting to find out how Black Country soldiers came to their fate.

Those that have been made so far include the story of Private John Crumpton, a distant relative of Sue, who was killed in action in October 1918, aged just 19.

He served with the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and joined the war in 1917. He is believed to have fought in the Battles of Messines, Pilkem Ridge and Menim Road in Belgium before his death.

It is in the village of Ooteghem in Belgium where Private Crumpton lost his life, just weeks before the end of the conflict.

Another of the war heroes to be immortalised is Private Osborne Price.

A much more experienced soldier, Private Price was already in the Army at the outbreak of the war, serving in Malta with 2nd Battalion Gloucester Regiment.

He also fought in Belgium early in the war but it was during an offensive in the Middle East that he died.

His battalion was seeking to push back the Turks near Baghdad in Iraq when he was wounded. Private Price was taken to the Allied Hospital Centre in Amara where he died of his injuries on March 5, 1917. His body rests in the Amara War Cemetery in Iraq.

Sue says it has been an exhausting but extremely worthwhile process.

She said: "It is long-winded, you have got to really research it.

"They fought for us and I really do believe in it. It's good to see something about your great-uncle or great-grandad and find out this information.

"There might be some people we might not be able to find, but we will have a damn good try."

The impressive memorial that is now part of the football club was completed last year, and features the names of 83 men as well as their rank, date of death, age, regiment and cemetery which they are buried or remembered.

For more information contact Sue on 07968 823062.