Church recreates Armistice service 75 years on

A church is to recreate an Armistice Day service 75 years on, while unveiling a plaque for those who died in World War Two for a second time.

The memorial from the now demolished Ryhope Grammar School in Sunderland turned up at a car boot sale and was donated to St Paul's Church in the city.

A family member of one of those who died revealed she still had the original order of service from 11 November 1949.

The Reverend David Chadwick, Vicar of St Paul's said: "Holding exactly the same service felt like the right thing to do."

"It all began a few years ago when a man knocked on my door and asked if the church would like a memorial plaque he'd bought," Mr Chadwick said.

"He'd traced the names back to the Grammar School and felt it should be back in Ryhope."

Mr Chadwick sought permission from the Church of England to put the plaque up in St Paul's where some of the men may have worshipped.

Among the names was that of Thomas Akenhead who had been in the RAF and had been shot down.

"We had a stroke of luck," Mr Chadwick said, "because my Mum got talking to a friend at her church and it turns out Thomas Akenhead was her uncle and she still had the order of service."

The service at 19:00 GMT features the four hymns sung in 1949 and the names will be read out just as they were 75 years ago.

"Even if hardly anyone remembers them any more, hearing their name humanises them," Mr Chadwick said.

"They were people and they had lives in front of them that were taken away by war."

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