£1.5m memorial for our war heroes

5:30am Saturday 17th November 2007

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WICKFORD'S fallen heroes could be honoured under plans for a new £1.5million war memorial.

A permanent stone monument to servicemen from the town who died in the First and Second World Wars would go up in place of the ageing plaques in Wickford Memorial Park.

It is believed the monument would honour at least 100 men who gave their lives in both conflicts.

Further plans include a garden of remembrance and the creation of a 2km-long riverbank nature trail along the River Crouch to Giddings Copse Nature Reserve, which could be used for parades during services.

The memorial would for the first time honour at least ten forgotten servicemen who were left off the original plaques in 1920.

Fred Harris, of Guernsey Gardens, Wickford, who is a veteran of the Normandy landings, said: "It would be fantastic to have a proper memorial.

"What we have at the moment is not really that good.

"It would be very nice to have somewhere special for services."

The decision follows pressure from local author Steve Newman, who has just published a book, Wickford's Heroes: The Wickford and Runwell Roll of Honour Book, detailing the men linked to Wickford and Runwell who died in both wars. He has pledged to plough profits into the work.

Tony Ball, Basildon Council's deputy leader, said: "The existing memorial has aged over the years and is not a fitting tribute to the servicemen of both wars who died doing their duty. We owe these men a debt of gratitude and want to create a memorial that is worthy of their sacrifice."

Wickford has lacked a proper memorial since a home built in remembrance after the First World War was demolished in 1976.

The plaques that were on the house were transferred to two concrete blocks by the gates of Wickford Memorial Park.

The council plans to mount the plaques on a stone memorial and recreate the original remembrance garden to provide a centrepiece for Remembrance Day. There are also proposals to restore plaques at the foot of trees in the park that commemorate those killed in the Second World War.

The council will now consult residents and is applying for lottery funding.