NON . QUO . SED . QUOMODO

MCMXIV . . . . MCMXIX

They whom the scroll commemorates were numbered amongst those who.

At the call of King and Country, Left all that was dear to them.

Endured hardship faced danger and finally passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self-sacrifice.

Giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom.

Let those who come after see to it that their names be not forgotten

In affectionate remembrance of the loyal and faithful

OLD CESTREFELDIANS

Who died in the Great War

“In sacred sleep they lie. Say not that the brave die”

Nearly 20 years ago I researched the ‘Old Cestrefeldians in the Great War’ Memorial Plaque, which was then located on the wall of the entrance hall opposite the Head’s study in Chesterfield School.

As an old boy myself (1980-1985) I had often walked past the Memorial Plaque, but like most teenagers, I gave it very little attention at that time…..but skip forward 15 years….. and I had a recently acquired an interest in the Great War and a fascination to identify men on the local War Memorials in Derbyshire and Cheshire.

And then I remembered the Chesterfield School Plaque…..

I asked for permission to photograph the Plaque…..and then my quest began to identify each of the 83 men on the plaque and to tell their story.

At the time the only ‘online resource’ was the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s register of men who had died in the Great War. So I used this single on line resource and was able to identify 78 of the 83 men and tell a little of their story. This information was included in my first website “Chesterfield Sherwoods on the Somme”, which has long since disappeared.

Jump to 2020….and I was asked by the OLD CESTREFELDIANS’ TRUST if they could use my research in their endeavours to provide an educational legacy relating to Chesterfield (Grammar) School over its long history. I agreed of course, but also suggested that perhaps the information could easily be updated with a larger number of online resources now available.

It is now time to tell the stories of these 83 Old Cestrefeldians……..