Grant recently met with local history enthusiast Andy Chapman to receive a copy of “Lest We Forget: The Story of Lemsford Parish”; an account of Lemsford between 1913 and 1919.
The fascinating compendium focuses particularly on the 21 Lemsford men and women who gave their lives in World War I and World War II. It also features a biography of each individual, and includes details about their personal history, their military record, and details of where each brave soldier is buried and remembered. These sections also contain fascinating examples of genuine written correspondence between military officials and the families of those killed.
Another particularly interesting section outlines the way in which the Sun Inn (which still trades today, as locals will know) and the pub trade in general was affected by the Defence of the Realm Act 1914.
Grant said of the book: “I was delighted to meet Andy. ‘Lest We Forget’ is a fascinating piece of work on a hard-hitting topic that anyone would find absorbing, especially anyone from our local area. Reading the biographies of those brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom is a privilege, and we must never forget them.”
Of his meeting with Grant, Andy said: “As someone who is greatly interested in local history, I was delighted to have the opportunity to present a copy of my book to our local MP since he represents today’s Lemsford Village residents. As a local man himself, I could see he was fascinated by the wartime history of our village and the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice of that generation.”
Mr Chapman is a part of the Lemsford Local History Group, a local group which welcomes correspondence from anyone with an interest in the local history of the parish. If you would like to contact the group or purchase a copy of ‘Lest We Forget’, you can contact them via email at [email protected].
