Corsley and Chapmanslade WW1 Armistice Centenary

THE villages of Corsley and Chapmanslade and  have been commemorating the centenary of the First World War armistice with local  events.

a well-attended concert was held at St Margaret’s Church in Corsley on Friday 9th November; an evening of music and songs from the period, poetry, film, a résumé of the war and a collection of local memorabilia, with a retiring collection for the British Legion.

A new book, by Fiona Carruthers and Phil Jefferson, “Lest We Forget”, was launched at the concert. It contains the biographies of the 28 men from Corsley and Chapmanslade who gave their lives in the service of their country, and a diary of the war as it affected Corsley and Chapmanslade, compiled from articles in the Warminster and Westbury Journal from 1914 to 1918. The book is available by phoning 01373 832845 or 832803. 

Earlier in the week, a cascade of over 1,300 poppies, knitted by village residents, was placed in the churchyard at St Philip and St James’ church in Chapmanslade. Children from the village primary school had made their own poppies and made a path with them from the cascade to the war memorial, where a garden of remembrance had been created. The children placed wooden crosses in the garden to commemorate the 17 men from Chapmanslade who lost their lives in the conflict and these were added to, later in the week, by village residents who wished to commemorate members of their own families. On Armistice Day itself,  a Remembrance Day service was attended by many people at St Margaret’s church in Corsley and in Chapmanslade an Act of Remembrance was conducted by Rev Marian Curtis at the war memorial in the churchyard . Over 200 villagers attended to remember the 17 villagers whose names are on the war memorial.

Shortly afterwards, three trees were planted at a ceremony in the Memorial Playing Field as another reminder of these men. The type of trees chosen will be at their best each autumn, to serve as a permanent reminder of the sacrifice they made.