INTRODUCTION
Back in 2013 I was asked if the Widecombe Church would support a project to replace its missing “Roll of Honour”, and once I discovered what a “Roll of Honour” was and why it was missing, the church gave this project its wholehearted support. A Roll of Honour consists of a list of names of all those who served in the First World War, and after the war one was put in the porch of every church in Devon – it had to be in the porch to prevent it up-staging the list of those who were killed – their memorial was typically, placed inside the church. Sadly, Widecombe’s Roll of Honour was lost, probably eaten by snails! So it has been my pleasure to see the Widecombe History Group Project work away at re-creating our Roll. With a few gaps for late additions, a beautifully hand-written version was placed under the War Memorial in the church, and blessed on Remembrance Sunday 2016.
However, the energy of the History Group knows no bounds, and as more details were gathered about each of the individuals, this book emerged, a brilliant example of what persistent and painstaking research can achieve. We are very blessed to have such a dedicated and enthusiastic group in our midst, who have carefully designed a fitting memorial to all those who gave so much.
For the true focus of this book is the people from Widecombe who served in the Great War – it is dedicated to them. It’s very hard for us to imagine the mixture of emotions that they would have felt as they set off to the Front. It’s even harder to imagine the feelings of those they left behind who would suffer days or months of anxiety, ending in a joyful reunion or a tragic loss. One hundred years after the signing of the Armistice, it is entirely fitting that all those who served in such a major conflict are recorded and remembered. Their example is an example to us all.
With grateful thanks.
Revd Geoffrey Fenton
Team Vicar of the Moorland Team
Widecombe 2018
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