A BOOK which tells the stories of Winchester men who lost their lives in the Great War has been officially launched at the church where they are commemorated.

We Will Remember Them: The Great War Dead of Fulflood and Weeke, Winchester was unveiled at St Paul’s Church, Fulflood, in front of an audience of local residents, historians and descendants of those who died.

Geraldine Buchanan, one of the six co-authors of the book, presented a copy to Rev Mary Copping, assistant priest at St Paul’s Church, in front of the oak memorial board which lists 91 men from Fulflood and Weeke who died in the war between 1914 and 1918.

Rev Copping read from Laurence Binyon’s poem For The Fallen which includes the famous line, ‘We will remember them’, the inspiration for the book’s title.

Among those present were Christine Vear and Geoff Cuell, respectively niece of Leslie Jacob and great nephew of Reginald Clark, two of the men commemorated on the memorial. They laid a poppy wreath before the sounding of the church bell signalled the start of two minutes’ silence in memory of the men.

The book is the culmination of six years’ work by Mrs Buchanan and fellow historians Derek Whitfield, Jenny Watson, Jo Coleman, Cheryl Davis and Steve Jarvis.

They researched the men listed on the memorials at St Paul’s and also at St Matthew’s Church, Weeke. As previously reported in the Chronicle their book tells the forgotten stories of soldiers, sailors and airmen who died in theatres of war as far afield as France, Belgium, Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Gallipoli, East Africa and even Russia.

The men came from all walks of life and served in an array of roles, from lowly Royal Navy stokers to a highly decorated Brigadier-General. The book also charts the development of Fulflood and Weeke in the years leading up to the war.

After the launch Derek Whitfield said: “It was highly appropriate that the launch took place in the church where the men are remembered. Winchester does not have a single memorial inscribed with all the names of the city’s Great War fallen so local parish memorials like those at St Paul’s and St Matthew’s would have served an important purpose by providing a tangible focus for their loved ones’ grief.

“Over the years, as the men’s relatives also passed away, the names on the memorials have become less familiar and their stories forgotten. One of the main aims of the book – as the title suggests - has been to retell the men’s stories and those of their families and the parish in which they lived.

“We were delighted that Christine Vear and Geoff Cuell were able to attend. Both helped enormously in our research by recounting family stories and providing photographs. At the launch they represented a deeply poignant historical thread stretching back to the fallen.

“The book has been exceptionally well received and generated much interest. It certainly appears to have filled a gap in the social history of Winchester.”

Copies of the book can be obtained from P&G Wells bookshop, College Street, Winchester, Sarsen Press, Hyde Street, Winchester, the Royal Hampshire Regimental Museum, Southgate Street, Winchester, and The Rifles Museum, Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, Alternatively email greatwardeadwinchesterfulfloodandweeke@outlook.com