WW1 – How a town remembered them
A summary of events held to commemorate WW1 over the years.
In early 2014 Thatcham Town Council established a working party of Councillors and community representatives to explore what activities the Town Council should undertake to commemorate WW1.
The Town Council held a number of events over the following 4 years:
- 6th August 2014, Service to mark the centenary of the start of WW1
- 9th-14th November 2014, Exhibition of historical mapping from the Royal School of Military Survey
- 15th November 2014, Guided tour of the war graves at Thatcham Cemetery
- 25th April 2015, Dawn service to mark the centenary of Anzac Day
- 28th September 2015, Unveiling of the commemorative stones for Thatcham’s three Victoria Cross recipients
- 1st July 2016, Service to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme
- 4th November 2017, Guided tour of the war graves at Thatcham Cemetery
- 11th November 2018, WW1 Armistice Centenary Beacon Lighting & Concert at St Mary’s Church. You can listen to the specially commissioned piece performed by Cold Ash Brass Band here.
- February 2019, an interpretation panel for the three Victoria Cross stones was unveiled on The Broadway
- April 2023, Victoria Cross stones relocated to new, more respectful, location at the southern end of The Broadway Green
These events and the two publications included below would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of members of the working party including Dr Nick Young; the Thatcham Branch of the Royal British Legion; and the Royal School of Military Survey at Denison Barracks.
Thatcham The Great War 1914-1918 was published in November 2018. 200 copies were distributed free of charge thanks to a grant from Greenham Trust. The book is now out of print but copies can be viewed at Thatcham Library or online here: Thatcham The Great War
A Tour of Thatcham Soldiers was the result of a project to have a guided tour of the centre of Thatcham highlighting locations where research has proven that servicemen lived and/or worked. The project was titled Untold Stories of the Great War. The Royal School of Military Survey provided the historical map used in the booklet and can also be viewed here: A Tour of Thatcham Soldiers Copies of this booklet are available from Thatcham Town Council Offices.
