Charles writes in support of plaque

Fundraisers looking to add a plaque containing the names of fallen soldiers to a Black Country war memorial have been sent a letter of support by Prince Charles.

He said he was impressed by Wednesbury War Memorial Group's work in securing £15,000 of funding from the local council for the project at the town's war memorial. The fundraisers have also written to the Royal Navy and RAF for support.

Wednesbury War Memorial Group wants a permanent tribute to the servicemen from the town who lost their lives in the two world wars. The existing memorial is believed to be one of the only such memorials in the country not to bear the names of the fallen but the group is planning to carve inscriptions into a granite stone, at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds.

Treasurer of the group John Allen said: "We are in the process of contacting various people including the Royal Navy and various other war veterans to gauge their support and help make the dream a reality.

"We decided to write to Prince Charles because we wanted to highlight what we are doing for the people of the town. He said he liked the idea of what we were doing and was pleased Sandwell Council had backed the plans."

Last month the Express & Star revealed that the plans for a permanent memorial naming fallen servicemen had been given a £15,000 boost.

A bid for lottery funding was turned down. But council bosses stepped in to help. The memorial in Walsall Street has never included a plaque carrying the names of the fallen.