LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS 
What is the purpose of this project?
In the new Millennium it was felt Leatherhead should know more than just an inscription, of the life and death of as many as possible of those it regards as its own, who gave their lives in the World Wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, and other 20th Century conflicts/active service duties, in the service of their country and for our present freedom.
Since then we have been doing this by research and making the information accessible.
Where there have been omissions and errors on the Leatherhead Memorials this project website has provided an opportunity to address them in a non-intrusive way. Any additional actions are for the consideration of those who are responsible for and have a stake in the Memorials.
In recent years the Town War Memorial in North Street has been kept locked for most of the year. In 2021, its 75th Anniversary year, the Leatherhead & District Local History Society made a gift of QR code notices at the Memorial enabling those with smartphones to link directly to the Leatherhead War Memorial's website to learn the stories of those named there and the history of the Memorial.
2021 was also the Centenary of the Royal British Legion. A message to the RBL from HM The Queen was read at the Service.
Derrick Summerfield (RBL County Chair) and
John Rowley (Chair, Leatherhead & District
Local History Society), Remembrance Sunday 2021
The website is still growing as new or better information becomes available and is added. The editor is grateful for the late Liam Sumption's early work on the World War I casualties, which has been considerably updated and added to. WWI specialist Ian Whitlock has also been helping the editor. The editor is primarily responsible for the work on the WW2 casualties. No post WW2 Leatherhead casualties have so far been identified.
We hope this website will:
- 'be a new kind of memorial,
accessible world-wide' we wrote when it was launched.
Since then there have been many such projects but this was among the early ones. - bring some consolation to the families of those named, and we hope, further information from them.
- be an educational resource and especially helpful to local schools making visits to WWI battlefields and cemeteries.
- stimulate visits to the town and the Parish Church and other Churches by the many families it touches and by others who have an interest.
The
Useful links has other useful sites which
provide further information.
page last updated 14 Nov 21