First look at Hartlepool memorial as crosses are displayed in Field of Remembrance

A team of volunteers have spent this morning planting 1,750 small wooden crosses with poppies around the memorial in Victory Square.

All but one have been inscribed with the name of a First World War casualty from the town.

The unnamed cross is to represent all of Hartlepool’s unknown soldiers.

The Hartlepool Field of Remembrance was the idea of Hartlepool Labour party members and friends Anth Frain, Ian Cawley, and Coun Dave Hunter with backing from Hartlepool Poppy appeal organiser Sian Cameron among others.

The list of names has been put together by local Historian Bert Wilson.

Now the field has been completed, Ian Cawley, a veteran of the Green Howards, said: “It’s really good and amazing to see that many crosses all in lines,

“I feel really proud, I’m ex-forces myself. Seeing them all out, it brings it home how many people died in Hartlepool during the war efforts.

“It’s the 80th anniversary of the Second World War next year, so it would be nice if we had permission to bring them out again, but to also add the names of those who died in that war to the Field of Remembrance.”

Mr Cawley added: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers and to the young people from the National Citizens Service who also helped and done a brilliant job.”

The crosses are expected to be in place for about three days. They will then be donated to the Royal British Legion.

A funding page in a bid to help pay for he wooden crosses is aiming to raise more than £4,000.

At the moment the amount stands at £1,555, but anyone who would like to make a donation can still do so at Hartlepool Field of Remembrance on www.gofundme.com.