Ex Harrogate student leads national campaign to ‘go local’ for Remembrance Day this year

Countdown to dazzling light show in Harrogate town centre tonight as part of Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival

One of the six British sites included in the ‘Our War Graves Your History’ video - led by Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) historian and interpretation officer, Max Dutton - is Harrogate’s Stonefall Cemetery, which has 1,000 war graves.

While created in 1914, many burials are airmen who died during the Second World War when bomber command bases were established across Yorkshire.

They include men and women from across the Commonwealth, including the Canadian brothers Lloyd and Harold Hannah, killed within weeks of each other and now buried together in Harrogate.

Max, who did his undergraduate dissertation on Ashville College during the First World War and started working for the CWGC in 2014, said: “This year, we are encouraging Harrogate residents ‘to go local’ as we approach a Remembrance Sunday like no other.

“The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is giving the public the tools to discover the World War heritage on their doorstep this autumn, at a time when many larger events have been cancelled.”

There are more than 43,000 war dead commemorated at more than 2,000 sites in the north of England and CWGC is making it easier than ever to discover your local World War heritage with a series of digital resources.

Our War Graves, Your History includes local stories, downloadable walking tours and tips on how to understand the history in your hometown.

The public can also meet the local team tasked with maintaining war graves in your area.

They include Stephen Liversage, CWGC’s regional manager for the north.

After following in his father’s footsteps Stephen has worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for 38 years, and he now leads the team responsible for war graves in the north of England.

Barry Murphy, CWGC’s director general, said: “This year has been like no other, and sadly this will have an impact on the usual traditions around Remembrance Sunday.

"The British public has already shown this year that with the smallest of gestures we can still find a way to thank the bravest among us.

“The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for war graves at more than 12,500 locations in the UK, and this means at a time when many of us are staying in our local areas, there is a still a way for us all to connect to our local World War heritage.

“We’re encouraging people to seek out the stories in their local area, using the new Our War Graves, Your History digital resources.

"By visiting www.cwgc.org/exploreGB you can read about the World War heritage in your nearest CWGC sites, download self-guided tours and find the tools to plan a visit and pay your own personal pilgrimage to a war grave.”

Anyone wishing to visit a war grave this autumn is reminded to check local guidelines in their area and adhere to social distancing throughout.

The story of the Hannah brothers, plus many more, can be explored using the free downloadable tour at www.cwgc.org/exploreGB

Further information about Ashville College is available from its website, https://www.ashville.co.uk/

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