Records of Commemoration of Stoke Gabriel Servicemen and Women

The War Memorial of Stoke Gabriel contains the names of men who died abroad during the two World Wars in armed service of their country. There are however many others who died after the war or at home and it was felt important that all these servicemen and women should be remembered. Records of Commemoration were therefore compiled for the servicemen and women of WW1, WW2 and other, more recent wars, each record containing information about the person’s connection to Stoke Gabriel and the nature of their service.

All those included were resident in the parish of Stoke Gabriel in the sense that the parish was their primary residential home. Residency was confined to any significant period in the 20^th or 21^st century either before or after their service. Residency in the 19^th century did not qualify except in the case of those men who went directly from school into one of the armed forces and served in that capacity during WW1. Those who were baptised or married, or who had a next of kin or a relative, or who merely carried out work, in the parish without meeting the residential requirement were not included. In contrast to baptism and marriage, a greater significance was attached to those who were buried or interred in the parish churchyard.

No discrimination was made between those who died in conflict and those who died at a later time. Nor did it matter how they died, whether as a direct result of the conflict or some natural cause, or where they died, whether at home or abroad.

The services principally included the armed services but the home service, the church army and army chaplains were also included.

On permanent display in the church is the Book of Remembrance of Servicemen and Servicewomen which accompanies the Records of Commemoration. A fitting memorial for those who served, it displays key information from the Records of Commemoration, comprising their full name, regiment, war(s), date of their death and their age, with the pages being turned on a monthly basis coinciding with the anniversary of their death.