PIRTON OUR WAR MEMORIAL
NAMES FROM THE FIRST WORLD WAR

The articles dedicated to the memory of the Pirton war dead from World War One were first published in the Pirton Magazine and were written by the editor Derek Jarrett. The website is very grateful for permission to use them and to all that assisted Derek in the writing.  Further acknowledgments appear at the end of each article.

Our War Memorial has stood proudly in St. Mary's Churchyard just off Crabtree Lane for around 80 years. Every year on the Sunday closest to Armistice many gather there to 'remember and give thanks' for those who gave their lives in the two world wars.

Of these, 30 names are of those who died in the First World War; many bearing surnames still familiar in our village. But what do we know about these men who were born in, had strong connections with or enlisted in Pirton?

Thanks to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the efforts of Lynda Smith who is the co-ordinator of the Bedfordshire Family History Society's War Memorial Project (www.roll-of-honour.com), the Magazine started a series of articles which document as much information as we could gather about these men. Can you add more? Cuttings, photographs, family stories, artefacts that we could photograph, if so please get in touch.

Details of rank, regiment, age, date of death and burial place, in France, Belgium or the scene of some other battlefield, have been made available through the website. The record of those with a Pirton association is so important as part of our village history. What is not so easily available is the detail of many of the 30; what was their association with the village? If born in Pirton, whereabouts in the village? What of the family they left? Do they have a connection with someone still living in the village? Is there a photograph of them available?

If you can add more information, cuttings, photographs, family stories, artefacts that we could photograph, please get in touch

The first point of contact is jontywild@pirton.org.uk