FOR the centenary commemoration of the First World War, All Saints Church in Chicklade has installed its first war memorial.

The memorial consists of a plaque listing the names of the four soldiers who lost their lives, and a box made from oak from Great Ridge Wood felled in 1914, containing four ceramic poppies.

A special service was held at 3pm on Sunday, October 14, and was attended by representatives of regiments that now contain the regiments the solders were from, as well as the Archdeacon of Sarum, the Venerable Alan Jeans.

Felicity Trotman, the churchwarden of All Saints Chicklade, said: “Chicklade is quite a tiny place, so we were delighted with the turn out.

“We were also terribly pleased with the memorials, and so glad that these soldiers can now be properly remembered.”

This memorial has been a long time in the making, with initial investigations into the soldiers beginning in 2013.

“It has taken a while,” added Felicity. “We knew nothing about two of the soldiers.”

Captain John Alexander Halliday is buried in the church yard, as his family were able to repatriate him at the time, and Lance corporal R.G. Hacker also has a small commemorative brass in his memory in the church, but this memorial means Private Sutton and Rifleman Mould can be properly remembered.