Since 1989, the War Memorials Archive has been trying to keep an up-to-date database for everybody to read, showing the location of every war memorial in the UK as well of details of the dead commemorated there. But their records are incomplete, and sadly many memorials (especially rural ones) are degrading: someday the information on them may be lost.
You can help, and it’s really easy. First, find your nearest local war memorial at http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.23 – just search in your town or village and you’ll find one. See if it appears and if the information is complete: some records barely show that the memorial is there, others have full lists of names, but many are in-between, merely listing which wars are represented.
Then head out to the memorial and take photos of all sides of it, close enough that you can read all of the text. In the top right corner of the page about your town’s memorial, there’s a link to provide updated information: just type in the new details that you found and send it off. Or, if your memorial wasn’t in the database at all, send them an email.
This Remembrance Sunday you can do more for the memory of those killed in war by helping future generations remember and research, too. Thanks for your help.
