CALLS have been reiterated for the name of a Droitwich soldier who died in the First World War to be put on the memorial in Victoria Square.
Despite Pte Francis Edgar Talbot’s memorial being in the town’s St Marys Churchyard cemetery, the fallen soldier is not commemorated on any Worcestershire war memorial and it is unclear why.
A plea for Pte Talbot’s name to be inscribed on the town centre memorial was made last year and Droitwich Town Council said it would look into the possibility but now, over 12 months on, no progress seems to have been made.
Peter Kennedy, a local historian who has researched the life of Pte Talbot, marked the centenary of his death last September by placing a cross with a poppy on it on his memorial on his mother’s grave in St Marys Churchyard.
He said: “I remember the name of another soldier who was not on the memorial being put on there a few years ago and it would be nice if Pte Talbot’s could be too, especially as next year is the centenary of the end of The Great War.
“Between now and then would be the ideal time to do it and I fear if it is not done by then, it will never be done.”
Pte Francis Edgar Talbot, a member of the 26th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, was 35 when he was killed on September 18, 1916 at the Battle of Flers Courcelette on the Somme.
The battle he was killed in was the ‘Somme Offensive’ which began on July 1, 1916 and ended on November 18, 1916.
It was the first ever battle when a tank was used.
Mark Keld from Droitwich Town Council said the authority was in the process of trying to contact Pte Talbot’s family for some additional background information about the soldier but, to date, no replies had been received so the situation had not been able to progress.
If anyone has anymore information about Pte Talbot they should call the town clerk on 01905 774258.
