The Wollaston Roll of Honour

The Project

In October 2002, local historians Gordon Hall and Linda Groom began an ambitious project to create a permanent record of every Wollaston man who lost his life in the First and Second World Wars.

Their aim was to complete the work in time for two significant anniversaries: the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, and the 60th anniversary of key Second World War events such as D-Day and Arnhem. With much of the village's wartime knowledge held by elderly residents, there was a growing urgency to preserve these memories before they were lost.

The Research

The project began with the 90 names recorded on the village War Memorial — 82 from the First World War and 8 from the Second World War. However, research quickly revealed numerous inaccuracies and omissions. Records held at Wootton Hall, compiled by the Vicar and Churchwardens after the First World War, contained many errors, while the 1901 Census presented additional challenges.

The task was made even harder by the loss of more than 60% of First World War service records, destroyed during the Blitz in the Second World War.

As the research progressed, it became clear that many men connected with Wollaston had been overlooked. Some had been born in the village but had moved away before the outbreak of war. Others were buried in Wollaston Cemetery but were not commemorated on the village memorial. A number died after the official end of the wars — in 1919 and 1947 — but were still serving their King and Country when they lost their lives. All were included in the final Roll of Honour.

Through extensive research and the support of many individuals and organisations, a total of 98 fallen servicemen were identified.

The Book

Each man was given a dedicated two-page entry. Where available, photographs of the serviceman were included alongside images of his grave and cemetery. For those with no known grave, photographs of their name on a memorial to the missing were used instead. Gathering these images required journeys across Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

After years of work, only one serviceman remained unidentified: Thomas Brown.

The Presentation

The completed leather-bound Roll of Honour was presented to the people of Wollaston during the Remembrance Service at St Mary's Church on 14 November 2004, where it was received and blessed by the Reverend A. I. Morton.

Although permission was not granted for the book to remain permanently in St Mary's Church, it was subsequently deposited at Northamptonshire Archives at Wootton Hall, where it remains preserved for future generations.