Museum News
WW1 Centennial Bell Tollings
Helston WW1 Heritage Project is drawing to a close with a series of centennial bell tollings commemorating those who lost their lives in the First World War. Following delays due to Covid-19, commemorations for the remaining five of Helston’s WW1 fallen are taking place between August 28th and September 5th.
Each man will be commemorated on a separate day, with Robert Woods tolling St. Michael’s Church bell 100 times to mark the centenary of their deaths. All tollings will take place at 11 a.m. except for the tolling on Friday 4th September, which will be held at 12 noon.
A Commemorative Book, produced as part of the Helston WW1 Heritage Project, currently features in ‘St Michael’s Church: Love, Life and Loss,’ an exhibition held in the museum’s upstairs gallery. On each day the bells are tolled in remembrance, the museum will display the page dedicated to the individual being honoured.
The first tolling on Friday 28th August, took place for John Henry RICHARDS Private 42656 11th Battalion Hampshire Regiment, who died at home, aged 21 yrs, on 15th April 1920 from pleurisy and congestion of the lungs, as a result of his service abroad. The son of Edwin & Elizabeth RICHARDS of 14a Church Street, Helston he is buried in Helston Cemetery. He was awarded the Silver War Badge, which was awarded to servicemen who were discharged as medically unfit, to prove they had served.
William John WILLIAMS Private 33882 Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, was remembered on Saturday 29th of August. He died at home, aged 25 yrs, on 13th June 1920, of Chronic Nephritis due to his service overseas. The son of John & Isabel WILLIAMS of Gunwin, Helston he is buried in Helston Cemetery. He was awarded the Silver War Badge – number 372201, and was one of the missing names that was added to Helston’s War Memorial as part of the Helston Heritage WW1 Project.
The remaining three men, for whom there is no other information aside from their names on Helston’s War Memorial, are F C ANGOVE, Leslie RICHARDS and George WHITE. They will be commemorated on Thursday 3rd, Friday 4th & Saturday 5th September.
