Aldwick war memorial plan explodes into row

Parish councillor Gwen Stabler has led a campaign to ensure that the parish's victims of the first and second world wars are formally remembered for the first time.

But the latest plan to place the words 'memorial hall' on a wall of the Aldwick branch of the Royal British Legion was criticised as a waste of money.

Cllr Mrs Stabler estimated the work, and creating two plaques to honour the local fallen servicemen of both conflicts, would cost less than 9,000. The parish council has put money aside for the scheme.

But resident and former serviceman Richard Ostler called the proposals ludicrous and misdirected when they were explained at Aldwick's annual electors' meeting.

He said Cllr Mrs Stabler's intentions were honorable but it was too late to worry about those who died fighting at least 63 years ago.

The money should instead be spent on supporting former servicemen and women who were living with injuries sustained serving their country.

"The council should give the money to the Aldwick branch of the Royal British Legion who will use it to look after the interests of those who are maimed, injured, disabled and have come back to live in Aldwick.

"Wouldn't that be a fine thing to do '“ to look after those that are living?

"Let this money be used for a living memorial," he stated.

"We have done all the mourning for those in the second world war. We need to look after those who are here now."

Cllr Carole Wiseman, the council's vice chairman, said: "That is a very interesting thought and not something that has come to me before."

She said the matter would go back to the council's amenities committee which was overseeing the project.

Cllr Mrs Stabler had told the meeting it was wrong that Aldwick's citizens who had made the ultimate sacrifice for their country went unrecognised.

The council's initial thoughts were to pay for a cenotaph memorial to be built close to its offices on the Willowhale community complex.

But a public exhibition of three possible displays failed to show backing for the idea.

It was then realised that the Royal British Legion's presence in Hewarts Lane provided the chance of an alternative memorial.

Her research showed the building was funded by residents' donations as a memorial.

But that role had never been formally recognised.

Her researches were bringing together the details of those from Aldwick who died in the wars.

The details of many of them were scattered around the different memorials in Bognor's hospital, outside the town hall and at St Thomas a'Becket Church in Pagham, she added.