11th November 2005
A service was held at Govilon War Memorial on 11th November to re-dedicate the site after extensive repair work. The memorial, which forms a gateway onto the George V Playing Fields, has had a major facelift carried out with the help of Monmouthshire County Council and the Community Council.
Children from Govilon School laid poppies and sung at a service conducted by Rev. Peter Baines (Baptist Church) and Rev. Alex Pye (Church in Wales). Ex-serviceman, Ted Crookes, laid the wreath and Tudor Williams played the Last Post and Reveille. David Davies AM, MP and County Councillor Verona Nelmes were among those who attended. The service was reported on Radio Wales.
Ivan Beatty, the major driving force behind the work said, "War memorials stand at the heart of virtually every community in Wales, and are a poignant reminder of the many who lost their lives in so many conflicts. The Memorials are also a legacy of art and sculpture; the result of spontaneous and emotional response by bereaved families and communities.
Unfortunately many have become neglected and forgotten. It is therefore wonderful to see our memorial back in good condition and providing a fitting tribute to the sacrifice that 14 young residents of Govilon gave in the First and Second World Wars".
The Memorial in Govilon is unusual in that it commemorates a civilian casualty of the First World War - May Prosser. It is believed she was killed in a local munitions factory. It is also poignant to remember that at least 4 of the soldiers listed on the memorial died in the same week at the battle at Ypres in Belgium in May 1915. In this battle alone only 29 of the 500 men in "A" and "D" Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Monmouthshire Regiment who arrived in France in February 1915 were left alive on the morning of May 10th Further information on the memorial can be found on the village website at www.govilon.com
Bob Vaughan
Govilon Heritage