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Erdington postmen heroes remembered

For what it's worth, the complete listing from the books at the Hall of Memory is online at https://www.hallofmemory.co.uk/
I haven't checked all of the names on the list and the search facility is not as good as it might be but at least the first of them is listed.
 
Great article Lyn - well done for getting it in the mail! Hopefully it will be found a new home soon and some relatives will come forward.
 
3Es said:
The name at the top centre was Sgt A J Gill, VC of the KRR. He was a friend of my Great Uncle and they were killed on the same day at Delville Wood on the Somme
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Hello and welcome to the forum. How sad your Great uncle and his friend were killed on the same day. Can I ask how you know they were friends? Are you in touch with any of his relatives?
 
3Es said:
The name at the top centre was Sgt A J Gill, VC of the KRR. He was a friend of my Great Uncle and they were killed on the same day at Delville Wood on the Somme
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hi 3Es so sgt Gill was a postman at hockley hill then...how sad that both he and your gt uncle both died on the same day..


thanks pol we are really hoping to get the erdington memorial back there...fingers crossed..

lyn
 
pollypops said:
Hello and welcome to the forum. How sad your Great uncle and his friend were killed on the same day. Can I ask how you know they were friends? Are you in touch with any of his relatives?
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Sgt Gill and our "Uncle Ernie" were in the same unit. My Grandfather told me about it. His family all lived around the Jewellery Quarter in those days. I'm not in touch with anyone in that area now as the remaining members of the family moved out around 1961 and the other people I knew there are all dead.
 
3Es said:
Sgt Gill and our "Uncle Ernie" were in the same unit. My Grandfather told me about it. His family all lived around the Jewellery Quarter in those days. I'm not in touch with anyone in that area now as the remaining members of the family moved out around 1961 and the other people I knew there are all dead.
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and of course on top of all that where they all lived would have been demolished by now but thank you for telling us all your family story of yet more heroes...

lyn
 
Great article Lyn; Hope someone will come forward and the mystery of the tablet will be solved.
 
thanks wendy and anne it really has been a great team effort...i have had quite a bit of response now to the mails article so later on when i have gathered it all in i will update you all so far...

lyn
 
update on posative feedback..:encouragement:

very pleased with the feedback since the mails article and i am feeling more hopefull that this memorial will once again be displayed..

Chris taft from the postal museum and archives is having a meeting with senior royal mail managers on thursday and will be bringing this up..

Greg ball from the war memorials trust has emailed me and given me contact details..

one of our members MAYFIELD quite by chance has a meeting soon with MP and erdington councillors and will also be bringing up the subject of the memorial..

peter armitage MBE from the tamworth delivery office has contacted the person within the royal mail who is reponsible for the post office memorials at the NMA in alrewas and is waiting for a reply..i have peters tel number so i will be contacting him for any udates there..
 
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Very good news Lyn! Feel more and more confident a home will be found. Good to see people taking positive action. Well done Lyn. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Very good news Lyn! Feel more and more confident a home will be found. Good to see people taking positive action. Well done Lyn. Viv.
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good morning viv...yes its looking good now...time is of the essence as we need this sorted before august..will keep you all posted...(please excuse the pun lol)
 
UPDATE...

hi folks..well i always say its first come first served and in view of the urgency to have our postal memorial put in a safe place before july/aug and bearing in mind the difficulty we may have in finding somewhere in erdington i am personally happy and i am sure ken stowe will be too for it to go to national memorial arburetum in alrewas where it will be well looked after...i have just spoken to peter armitage MBE who has now had a reply from the director of the royal mail who is very keen to put the memorial at the NMA..the plan would be to put it alongside the other postal workers memorials and it will have a plaque made to put in front of it stating where it came from...if needed it will also be professionally cleaned up...peter has also extended an invite to our forum members to attend the royal mail rememberance day on sunday the 16th of november...dont think we will get much better than this folks but your thoughts would be appreciated..
 
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That's an excellent result Lyn - you have achieved everything you set out to do - to get the memorial back on display in a safe place where it will be looked after - WELL DONE!
Also well done to everyone who has contributed to the information on these brave men and of course a big well done to Ken Stowe who saved the memorial all those years ago and kept it safe.

WELL DONE!
:star: :encouragement: :star:​
 
That's an excellent result Lyn. 100% in favour of the NMA. And to be placed amongst other postal workers - well, we couldn't ask for more. After all, there's the other wooden memorial in Erdington with the seven names on, so they're also remembered there. Chuffed to bits for you Lyn. Viv.
 
At least there it is unlikely yo go astray again. Whereas in a sorting or post office the building might close and the plaque get 2lost" again.

Janice
 
UPDATE..

thank you everyone but i need a lie down in a dark room now...had another call from peter armitage and it now seems that the memorial can be placed on the outside of the erdington sorting office as we originally wanted...they are just checking to see if there are any restrictions on doing this but seem to think it will not be a problem...i have asked that if it does go there can i be assured that should the building be closed down that the memorial will be taken over to the NMA..always thought its rightful place really was with the folk of erdington as these 7 men lived..worked and walked those streets and one of the men albert edward sharp is buried a very short distance away at st barnabas church after dying in a military hosptial in bury st edmunds...either way it has been saved and wont be spending anymore time in kens shed.. i will keep you updated..going for a cuppa now lol..oh and well done everyone and thanks for all your support..

lyn
 
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At the NMA there are other Memorials mainly insurance companies, to be found between the main building and the chapel, near the disabled vehicles.
 
How interesting and delightful it has been to follow this post. I too would like to add my grateful thanks to all who have researched these gentlemen's names and added the details that bought them back to life for a short time.

I am sure your efforts have been worth it............... many thanks.:adoration:
 
thanks rowan i cant wait now to see the memorial on public view its the least these men deserve

lyn
 
Well done Lyn and all concerned at least it will be safe now and no one need worry about where it will end up. Great result!
 
thanks wendy and josie i will keep you all informed if it will be going to the NMA or outside the erdington sorting office but it is looking very much like the sorting office which is fantastic..

the reporter who wrote the article has had two messages left to make call backs as a result of the article..one from a councillor and the other she thinks is from a rellie of one of the men..will let you know as soon as she gets back to me..

lyn
 
I do so hope that's a relation whose made contact. Be good news to find at least one relation. Wondering if there's anything else we can do Lyn to help you find relations? But I suppose we have to step back and let them make contact don't we? Viv.
 
morning viv..yes i think we have to let any rellies make contact...but wouldnt it be great to have a photo of any of the men..i feel as though i know them already...ken stowe is absolutely delighted with the outcome..he said he could not have wished for better and its not over yet..

lyn
 
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