War dead to be listed together thanks to successful campaign (From Times Series)

War dead to be listed together thanks to successful campaign

9:38am Sunday 8th November 2009 in

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CASUALTIES from the Second World War will be listed alongside the fallen from the first thanks to a campaign to improve East Barnet Village's war memorial.

An appeal to raise £2,500 to copy 30 names from a window in St Mary's the Virgin Church in Church Hill Road to the memorial on the corner of East Barnet Road and Cat Hill was launched less than a month ago but has already nearly reached £2,000.

A further 13 will be added who were missed off the original listing.

The man co-ordinating the fundraising campaign, Mike Pearce, of Brook Hill Road, said: “We're virtually there, we're very very pleased and we want to give a really big thank you to the people in East Barnet.

“They've responded in such a magnificent way.” St Mary's parishioner David Howard said people had felt such and affinity with the cause that he had seen them donating £10 and £20 at a time.

Now a march and ceremony held in the village this morning should be the last where those paying their respects need to do so at two locations.

Local residents will meet at 10.45am at the village's war memorial on the junction of and Cat Hill where a ceremony will be held.

They will meet up with a Royal British Legion parade coming from New Barnet.

The full list of local casualties will be read and then a non-denominational service will take place in the Methodist church close by.

Mr Pearce said the names should be added to the memorial in the new year.

The First World War had a huge impact on East Barnet Village residents.

There are 55 names of the dead listed, at the time when there were only 300 households By the time of the Second World War, a building explosion had led to 5,000 homes.