A poignant new memorial is set to open, honouring the 'forgotten heroes' of World War One who died in the United Kingdom and Ireland but have no known resting place. The memorial, located at Brookwood in Surrey, will be unveiled by Princess Anne on Tuesday.
Research Uncovers 400 Names
Research conducted by the 'In From The Cold' project and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) commemorations team has identified 400 individuals whose names will now be inscribed on the memorial. The CWGC spokesperson stated: 'Initially, 400 service personnel will be commemorated, with enough space for up to 1,200 names.'
Stories of the Forgotten
Among those honoured is Nurse Margaret Elizabeth Bramfitt, from the Voluntary Aid Detachment. Born in Sunderland in 1883, she served tirelessly as a nurse in hospitals from Bermondsey to Manchester before being posted to Lichfield, where she died from a perforating gastric ulcer.
Another is Serjeant David Anderson McIntosh, born in Glasgow in 1890. He enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1914 and served in France. Injured by a shell explosion in 1917, he was sent back to England and died from his wounds in 1919, aged 28. He was awarded the Military Medal for bravery.
Memorial Design and Landscape
The memorial features tall stone stelae already in place, surrounded by a new woodland landscape that will grow over time, creating what the CWGC describes as 'a delightful space that inspires and delights.'
Broader Impact of WW1
The First World War's impact extended far beyond the battlefield. Many service personnel from the UK and Ireland returned from the Western Front only to die from wounds, illness, training accidents, or after discharge. These individuals were often missing from the national record, and the new Brookwood 1914-1918 memorial restores their stories to public memory.
A CWGC spokesperson concluded: 'At the Commission, we know our work is never truly done. We remain committed to ensuring every individual who fell in service to the British Empire during the World Wars is commemorated.'
