Freemasons visit the graves of Shropshire soldiers who fell during World War I

A group of Shropshire Freemasons have travelled to Flanders in Belgium to pay homage to Salopian soldiers who fell during World War I.

Get the latest headlines delivered straight to your inbox with the Shropshire Star’s free newsletter

On Wednesday, April 8 a party of seven Shropshire Freemasons with an interest in history travelled to the battlefields of Flanders Belgium and the Somme in France.

The tour was organised and led by Stuart Parton, a Freemason from Telford and a British Army veteran of 24 years with an interest in the Great War having visited the region on over 20 occasions and often presenting talks on the subject in and around Shropshire.

He said a total of nine Shropshire Freemasons were to fall during the war with three being buried in Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries in the Somme region.

Each grave was visited by the group where poppy wreaths were laid and prayers recited in honour of the fallen Salopians.

He said: “The Great War or World War I as it has become known affected virtually every family in our county, such was the carnage that barely a family across the nation escaped the death or wounding of a loved one. The county of Shropshire was no different, with 5,286 of our men and women paying the ultimate price during the war.

“We went to firstly remember all that served and fell from the county, secondly to remember the Shropshire Freemasons that fell and are buried in France and Belgium. And finally to give respect and pay homage to the only Shropshire soldier executed by being shot at dawn during the war.”

He said arrangements were made with the Menin Gate Association for a wreath to be laid during their trip to the Belgian city of Ypres in honour of all Salopians who served and fell during the war.

The presentation was made by Mr Roger Pemberton accompanied by Mr Stephen Rogers and Mr Allan Tipton having been granted the honour of participating in the ceremony in front of several hundred attendees.

The party visited in excess of 20 sites over a five day period; for some it was their first taste of the war, others have been several times.

The group also visited the grave of Private Denis Jetson Blakemore of Bicton, Shrewsbury who became one of the 306 British men and the only Shropshire soldier to be executed by firing squad in July 1917.

He was shot for desertion and is buried at the Locre Hospice Cemetery just south of the Belgian town of Poperinge.

The party conducted a short service of prayer and remembrance at Pte Blakemore’s grave - a poppy wreath and remembrance cross were laid. Denis Blakemore received a full pardon from the British Government in 2007 and is further remembered with honour at Frankwell Church Shrewsbury.

Stuart said the party were both humbled by the scale of the sacrifice and suffering made so long ago and honoured to recognise all those that served from our fine county.

“All too soon it was time to begin the long journey home, each man found the tour educational and somewhat emotional – many smiles were shared and in truth a few tears shed,” said Stuart.

“As we left our thoughts wandered to the now famous poems that emerged from the war – and as Rupert Brooke correctly wrote, ‘that there’s some corner of a foreign field that is forever England’. There is indeed.

Among the Shropshire casualties of World War I visited by the group included:

Lieutenant Leonard William Clarke of the 11 battalion Loyal East Lancashires and Pengwerne Lodge (Shrewsbury) No 3229 fell on 14th November 1916 and is buried at Forceville Cemetary north of the French town of Albert, Somme region.

2nd Lieutenant Arthur Southwell of the 7th Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry and The Castle Lodge (Bridgenorth) No 1621 fell on the 13th November 1916 he is buried at Sierre Road Cemetery near Albert, Somme.

2nd Lieutenant Thomas Minshall 4th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers and St Oswald Lodge No 1124 (Oswestry) fell 25th March 1918 and is buried at the Gordon Dump cemetery Somme.