Poster scheme brings home Tommies' sacrifice

The Frankwell Fallen project has been organised by St George's Church in Frankwell, Shrewsbury.

"There's been a huge response," said the vicar, the Rev Tim Vasby-Burnie.

"So many businesses have been delighted to take part. A lot of the houses at Welsh Bridge, Frankwell island, and nearby, have the posters on display. They are very visible, and if you walk from the Welsh Bridge to the Frankwell island and back they are quite inescapable and quite moving, as each poster represents an individual."

Organist Colin Keates researched all 89 names on the church's memorial, finding out where they lived and other details, and in the course of his research found a further five fallen soldiers from Frankwell whose names were not recorded on the memorial, making 94 in total.

"Where their addresses still existed we wrote to that property, which was normally a house but occasionally a business. Where the property was gone, or where we did not have information, we asked local businesses to adopt a particular soldier."

The church created personalised posters for The Frankwell Fallen to be displayed at their homes bearing their name, rank, and regiment.

"There's one soldier about whom we found literally nothing. He is a real mystery," said Mr Vasby-Burnie.

Another of Frankwell's fallen was notable as one of the soldiers who was shot at dawn – he was executed in 1917 for desertion.

The posters feature a poppy background with the silhouette of a Great War Tommy, with details of the individual soldier who lived there.

The church's research will be on display in the church on Saturday, November 10, from 10am to 3pm, and there will also be a vigil on Frankwell island at about 2.15pm on Saturday in which it is hoped there will be as many people as possible dressed in black, each representing one of the soldiers.