A NEW war memorial and garden are to be unveiled in Maiden Bradley next month in connection with the village’s 70th VE Day anniversary celebrations.

The memorial will feature a plaque mounted on the side of the Maiden Bradley Memorial Hall listing all the men from the village who died during the First and Second World Wars.

Twenty-three men from the village were killed during both conflicts, representing 20 per cent the male population living in the village at the time.

The unveiling will take place on May 9 at 10.30am with a Service of Dedication to coincide with Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) celebrations, when the German’s surrendered in the Second World War.

Mel Thomas, chairman of the Memorial Hall and a former Royal Engineer, said: “We’re still in the process of laying the turf but it will all be done by the beginning of May.

“There’s no war memorial in the village as such at the moment – there is one in the church but it’s not open to everybody all the time – we want to put one out in the open air with a proper plaque outside on the wall of the hall.

“I think it’s very important to have a memorial, not just for Maiden Bradley but in general.”

Taking six months to build and costing almost £2,000, the garden outside the Memorial Hall will feature a specially designed wrought iron bench to commemorate those who died in the wars as well as flower beds and trees.

The Memorial Hall was originally built in 1911 and served as a hospital during the First World War, caring for 600 military personnel and was given to the community by the Duke of Somerset.

Both the current Duke of Somerset and Dr Andrew Murrison, Conservative Parliamentary candidate for the South Wiltshire, have been invited to the service and have contributed to the creation of the memorial.

“It’s very important that they come along, just to give us that high-profile for the event," added Mr Thomas.

“The Duke has supported us all along and he has given lots of support to projects and he plays an important part in village life.”

A 1940s style street party will be held after the service.

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