We started researching the names of the men from the town to go on the new war memorial back in April 2010.
One of many newspaper articles found by members of the LFHS Chorley branch
Since then, volunteers from the Chorley branch of the Lancashire Family History Society have been trawling through microfilm records of local newspapers for the First World War (years 1914 to 1919), the Second World War (1939 to 1945), and years since then covering conflicts in Korea, Suez, Malaya, Aden and Northern Ireland.
Their efforts, plus numerous appeals in the media and on our websites has resulted in a total of 725 names being identified – 561 from World War One, 158 from World War Two and six from other conflicts.
When we started, we knew of 657 names from various databases such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission ‘Debt of Honour’ register, and locally the “Golden Books” in Astley Hall (the latter listed men who died in The Great War); a total of 68 names have been added that we did not know about originally.
There is still time for names to be added but the closing date has to be Thursday, 23rd August.
The latest lists can be viewed on the Chorley Cenotaph page.
