Nineteen soldiers who never returned home to a single Sefton street from World War One have been honoured with a special commemorative stone, one hundred years after the conflict ended.
The Mayor of Sefton has today (Wednesday, December 12) officially unveiled the permanent tribute on Antonio Street, Bootle, to honour those residents who fought and died during the 1914-1918 war.
Throughout the geographical area now known as Sefton, nearly 4,000 men and women perished in World War One, but the impact of the conflict was perhaps felt strongest in the small terraced row of houses of Antonio Street, where it is often claimed every household lost somebody close to them as a result of the war.
The tribute was commissioned as part of Sefton Council’s ongoing commemorations to mark the Centenary of the end of World War One and the Local Authority’s emotional Beyond The War Memorials project.
Sefton’s Mayor, Cllr Dave Robinson, said: “We wanted to make sure Antonio Street has a permanent and lasting memorial to honour the incredible sacrifice those nineteen men made for their families, their neighbours and their country.
“There are so many heart wrenching stories from behind the doors of this street. At number Four, a couple lost two sons.
“Their first son, John George, was just 30 years of age and married with two small children, when he was killed at Ypres. His younger brother Frederick was in the navy. He sadly died age 22, when his ship HMS Laurentic struck a mine off Ireland in January 1917.
“Two family members were also lost at number 19, when cousins Joseph Sloey and Joseph Kane were both killed.
“To be able to permanently honour these brave men, on the street they grew up on, is incredibly important and I hope that many future generations of Antonio Street residents pause to learn of the great sacrifices that were made.”
As part of Sefton Council’s Beyond The War Memorial campaign, 2,000 households in Sefton have received special information packs in the post, which include the details of those who lived at that address and died in action.
For more information about Antonio Street and to read more about the Beyond The War Memorials project, visit www.seftonwarmemorials.org.
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