Record turnout at memorial services

Thousands of people flocked to pay their respects to the country's fallen war heroes during emotional Remembrance Day ceremonies across the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

Crowds stood still in silence across the region at 11am yesterday to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and honour those still fighting in Afghanistan.

More than 1,500 people gathered to pay their respects at the newly-refurbished war memorial in Wednesbury, a record turnout for its Remembrance Day celebrations. The memorial honours the 1,060 heroes of the town who gave their lives in both World Wars.

John Allen from Wednesbury Civic Society, said: "I think we had a record turnout because the plinths with the names of the war dead were unveiled.

"We had got a lot that came from outside Wednesbury. It was very moving."

Willenhall-based Stonemasons W E Jones Memorials designed the tribute and inscribed the names of the fallen on eight granite tablets, divided over four plinths, in addition to the old memorial plaque.They include 623 heroes that were already included in a book of remembrance and 437 forgotten names who were uncovered by the Wednesbury War Memorial Group's research over the last five years. The £50,000 monument was funded with £15,000 of collections from fundraisers.

Four generations of one Wednesbury family were among the crowds paying tribute to a much-loved ancestor who died during the Second World War at the new memorial.

It was an emotional moment for 84-year-old May Walker, whose uncle, Lance Corporal Bert Harris died of his injuries, after being hit by a sniper during the D-Day landings in 1944.

Mrs Walker was 18 when her uncle died.

A roll of honour naming almost 30 victims of the bombing of streets in West Bromwich in 1940 was also unveiled yesterday.

Both Richard Street South and Oak Road were bombed on November 19, 1940 killing 29 people — the youngest of which was just 13 months. Now a roll of honour with the names and addresses is set to go on display at the Church of Good Shepherd and St John in Bromford Lane. It will be dedicated during a family service at the church next Sunday.

A second roll of honour of honour marking the deaths of soldiers from the parish who were killed during service was also dedicated yesterday.

Margaret Street resident Joyce Mann, aged 69, has spent weeks researching the roll of honour following a conversation with a member of the congregation about the death of a former Guns Village School pupil Vera Care in the bombings. It spurred her on to start researching the deaths of people within the parish who died in the bombings.

The great nephew of Walsall's best-known military hero helped to lead a Remembrance Sunday service in his honour.

Pc Roger Hearsey, who has served with Walsall police for more than 20 years, lead the tributes to John Henry Carless and other fallen soldiers.

Mr Carless served in the Royal Navy and was on the HMS Caledon at the Battle of Heligoland Bight during the First World War in 1917.

The 21-year-old seaman helped other wounded men, despite being fatally injured himself, and continued to fire his gun until he collapsed. The Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously and bequeathed by Mr Carless's family in 1986 to Walsall's people at the museum.