It is not uncommon to find a name you might expect to be commemorated on a particular memorial missing from it.

Why Were Some Names Omitted?

All memorials from the beginning of time to the present, with the exception of the Cenotaph in London, have been erected by the local community as opposed to the government. When looking to see who should be included on the memorial there was no central body from which a list could be obtained. Instead, the collation of names for inclusion on the memorial was done by the committee responsible for the memorial's erection in any number of ways, namely:

Memorial to Lt J Manners, Clovelly, Devon.  UKNIWM Ref No. 25898

 

- Door-to-door enquiries
- Leaflet posted through the letter box
- Announcement in the church
- An article in the or newspaper
- Word of mouth

 

 

This meant that names could very easily be omitted that might otherwise have been included. For example, if a family had already left the area their relative may not have been recorded.  Alternatively, relatives did not always want names inscribed - where a loved one was posted as missing some families still held on to the hope that they would return. To have the person’s name placed on the memorial was an admittance that they were never going to return and that was just too painful for them.

Could They be Commemorated Elsewhere?

If you find a name missing it may be the case that they are commemorated on a different memorial.  Individuals were often commemorated in more than one location, for example in their town of residence, on their military unit's memorial, workplace, local church or a sports club. So it is worth doing some research to see if there is an alternate place of commemoration.

How to Get a Name Added

If you want to recognise someone who has not been commemorated on a particular memorial there are many different ways you could do this.

Addition to Existing Memorial

Some believe that people should only be commemorated on one memorial only. This is not true. People can be listed on as many memorials as people see fit - there is no statutory limit. If you would like to have a name added to a memorial you will need to ascertain certain information.

1) Who owns the memorial?

You will need to determine who owns or is responsible for the memorial and seek their approval.  This might be the local council, a committee, church, club or private individual. However, finding the owner or custodian can be quite difficult as it was often assumed at the time of unveiling that the memorial would be looked after in perpetuity by the local community. As a result, few memorials were handed over to the care of a managing body. If you can't find the information on the UKNIWM database then you will need to make enquiries in your local records centre, library or archive. Newspaper reports are a very good source of information for this.

If you can't find an owner or custodian it is worth contacting the local council or maybe another body to see if they would be willing to take on custodianship of the memorial. Local Authorities were given the power by the War Memorials (Local Authorities’ Powers) Act of 1923 to maintain, repair, protect and adapt war memorials in their area, whether they own them or not. However, they are not obliged to do this and it is entirely up to the individual Local Authority to decide what action, if any, to take.

2) Is the name eligible for inclusion on the memorial?

Whilst you are carrying out your research you should also see if there was a policy to decide which names could be placed on the memorial. Addition of names should be in keeping with either the original criteria. Some communities set geographic boundaries to decide who would go on the local memorial whilst others were more flexible. It is also worth checking to see if there is a updated policy on whether to add new names, e.g. the person must have been resident in the area, the adding of a new name should not damage the memorial, there needs to be sufficient space to add a new name etc. It should also be noted that some structures may be listed monuments so will have other restrictions determining what changes can be made to them.

 3) Funding

The most straightforward way is to pay for it yourself.  In most cases, memorials were originally funded by donations from the local communities, including the relatives of the deceased.

If you are not able to pay for the addition, it may be possible to obtain financial assistance from elsewhere, such as a local interest group or War Memorials Trust.  Further details about War Memorials Trust can be found on their website in the link below.

http://www.warmemorials.org/

Alternatively, you could see if any other names were omitted. Make enquiries to see if anyone is or has carried out research into the names of those on the memorial. If there are a number of names to be added then you might find it easier to raise the funds and it could well be more cost-effective.

4) Get the support of stakeholders

The addition of a name or names is an opportunity to remember the sacrifice made by previous generations and recall the role that ordinary people played in an important part of our history. Get the support and involvement of the local community, veteran and local interest groups in the process as not only does it reflect the original process by which the memroial was originally erected but it could also help in getting the name or names added if you are having problems.

Create a New Memorial

If you find that adding the name or names to an existing memorial is not an option, there are other ways in which you can remember people. You could produce some form of publication, e.g. a booklet, printed roll of honour or website.  Another way to commemorate someone might be to make a gift to charity in memory of them or sponsor an item like a history prize in a school, a tree or a seat.

Remembering the Dead

Whichever option you are able to do, try to mark the successful conclusion of your efforts with an event like a short ceremony or re-dedication service. It can be as simple or complex as you wish.