Descendants of Great War’s grieving mums are helping to mark memorial centenary
of the armed forces, descendants of fallen servicemen and women, historians, pupils and civic leaders will mark 100 years since Hinckley’s war memorial was dedicated, on Friday, May 20.
They will attend a short ceremony in the Garden of Remembrance in Argents Mead at 10.45am, 100 years to the day since the memorial was first dedicated.
Members of the public are also invited to attend.
Royal British Legion standard bearer Ian Walker, who is helping to organise the event with historians and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, has created a guest book to record attendance for posels terity. This will then be placed in Hinckley Museum.
In a poignant nod to history, descendants of some of the bereaved Hinckley mothers who took part in the original foundation stone ceremony will also be taking part.
Local historian Greg Drozdz had already traced the descendants of three mothers who had each lost three sons in the Great War and a fourth descendant has since been traced following a public appeal.
Mr Drozdz is still appealing for any descendants of Mary Ann Dixon to come forward so they can be invited to take part in this special commemoration.
Mary Ann Dixon’s family lived in Upper Bond Street before moving to Coventry Road in the town.
Three of her six sons, Joseph, Herbert
and William, were killed in action in France in 1917 and 1918, leaving three remaining siblings, James, Charles and George.
Greg said: “This is one final push to get this project across the line.
“We only need one more family to come forward to achieve our aim of replicating events of 100 years ago.”
In a further echo of the past, florists are creating a tribute representing the three armed services - the RAF, Army and Navy – along with a white cross covered in lilies inspired by the floral arrangement created for the original service.
The borough council’s armed forces champion, Councillor Danny Findlay, said: “The memorial is the town’s focal point for loved ones and a place where the community comes together to pay their respects for those servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy today.”
The war memorial was built on part of Hinckley Castle.
Designed by John Alfred Gotch, from Gotch and Saunders, of Kettering, the memorial is an octagonal ashlar column on a stepped base.
This is surmounted by a bronze statue of a robed Angel of Mercy with arms outstretched.
In November 1951 additional panMEMBERS were added bearing the names of the people of Hinckley who lost their life during the Second World War.
Today, the memorial honours everyone from Hinckley who fell in the major wars and conflicts of the 20th century.
Anyone who can help Mr Drozdz piece together information about the Dixon family is asked to contact the borough council’s communications team on 01455 238141 or email