Village tribute acclaimed by visitors

Timed to coincide with the centenary of the war ending, the exhibition was put together by Pam Trace, a Sherburn resident and member of the village’s historical society.

One visitor commented: “I was impressed by the huge amount of work which has gone into this very interesting and well researched display. It is what a Library hub is all about.”

The exhibition proved so popular that it was extended for a further week.

A key part of the display was a separate file for each soldier from Sherburn, including Army records and letters discovered by members of Sherburn in Elmet History Society.

As well as paying tribute to those who lost their lives, it also identified those who survived the war and returned home.

A wall chart showed where in Sherburn they lived, while other displays described the challenging wartime conditions in Sherburn, including the limited availability of food, as well as providing information about the regiments in which Sherburn soldiers served and the history of the village’s war memorial.

During the time the exhibition was being staged it is believed more than 1,000 library visitors viewed the commemorative displays.

Paul Doherty, Chairman of Sherburn in Elmet Community Trust, which runs the library with the help of volunteers, commented: “The exhibition was a wonderful source of information about the men of Sherburn who served during the war, some of them sadly never coming home.

“We are grateful to Pam Trace, who curated the exhibition, for making the displays so interesting and supporting the library’s development as an information hub for both residents and visitors.”