World War I records to be rebuilt by history society

WESTBURY’S Family History Society has started to rebuild service records for all the local people who served in the First World War, and are calling on residents to help with their research.

Over half of the service records for the town were destroyed during air raids in 1940, and the true history of servicemen hasn’t been known since.

The Westbury branch of the Wiltshire Family History Society is undertaking a project to find the names of the men from Westbury and the surrounding villages who joined up and served in WW1.

Lynne Vercoe, a member of the society said, “Unfortunately about 60% of the soldiers’ service records were irretrievably damaged or lost completely as a result of enemy bombing in 1940 during the Second World War.

“The exact number of serving British soldiers is not known because of the loss of the records. We hope that this project will help find some of the men who served for whom no service records remain.

“We plan to plot their homes on a map of that period, and to explore their families and their employment to give a sense of the impact of the war on the  local community.

“As part of the Westbury WW1 commemorations the group intend to draw attention to the men and women of the town who joined up to serve their country.

“Much is made of the men who lost their lives in the conflict but little is known of the men who joined up and returned. The group will explore their family history and collate this information and make it available to future researchers.”

The project will be undertaken in conjunction with WW1 commemorations across the town during the four-year centenary  of the Great War.

It is hoped that the archives will be used by schools and historians in the future.

The society will be including a regular feature in White Horse News as they uncover more information. The first instalment can be seen on page xx of this issue.

Lynne continued, “We would like to give the public the opportunity to add to the archives that already exist, and for people to find out more about the men who went to war.

“We are collating the information in the following groups:- • Men who were born and resident in Westbury when enlisting.

• Men who were resident, but born elsewhere, when enlisting.

• Men who were born in Westbury but living elsewhere when enlisting.

“As the records become available we are recording the women who worked as VAD’s (Voluntary Aid Detachment), and who were either living in Westbury or working at Heywood House – a Voluntary Aid Detachment hospital.

“It will allow schools and historians to explore the life of this area at this time and add to the town’s cultural knowledge. It is very much hoped that private photographs of both the people and the area will come to light, adding to the area’s photographic heritage.”

The Westbury Family History WW1 project would love to hear about anyone, from Westbury and the surrounding villages, who served in the First World War. If you can help, contact them on westbury@wiltshirefhs.co.uk or 01373 823590.