War hero’s story set to inspire new generation
SOLDIER WHO WON MILITARY CROSS IN WAR GRAVES PROJECT
THE heroic story of a Nottingham man who fought in the First World War is being told as part of a project to celebrate the incredible efforts of those who gave their lives during the conflict.
Second Lieutenant Maxwell Dalston Barrows, who was born in Nottingham in 1898, fought in some of the most violent battles on the Western Front including the Battle of St Quentin Canal.
Maxwell served with the 1st and 5th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters, which formed a section of the 46th North Midland Division.
The 46th was involved in attacking and breaking through the infamous German lines. Maxwell’s critical actions on September 24, 1918, where he led a successful attack with his platoon against heavy machine gun fire, earned him the Military Cross.
With just a few weeks remaining in the 100 Days Offensive and the end of the war, Maxwell was killed aged just 20. His story will be featured in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Road to Peace project, which aims to commemorate the 120,000 men and women who died between August 8 and November 11, 1918.
CWGC Historian Max Dutton said: “Behind every one of our headstones or names on a memorial to the missing, is a human story waiting to be told. We hope Lieutenant Maxwell’s story will inspire people to find out more about him and his comrades.”
Maxwell is buried at the CWGC Bellicourt Cemetery in France, near to where he died while pushing the Germans back in the 100 Days Offensive.
Peter Hopkins, chairman of the Nottinghamshire branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “War heroes are becoming a dying breed, and we’ve lost all of our Great War veterans.
The Legion have had a change of emphasis, to mark the fact there are stories of the women and children involved, waiting to be told. Just recently I heard the story of a nurse from Warsop who earned the Military Cross too for her services in Italy – she was even summoned by the Pope. It’s important that we tell these stories as it shows young people that they do have the potential in times of need and that there’s hope for the future.”
Mark Smith, community fundraiser for the Legion in Nottinghamshire, added: “All 12,000 Nottinghamshire people who paid the ultimate price for our current freedom are deserving of the gratitude of their ancestors both in and around the county.”