VOTE: Do you support the idea of a new war memorial for the men from Wick who died in the First World War?

He has set himself the task after discovering the neighbourhood’s original Great War memorial was in storage at Littlehampton Museum and is too fragile to be displayed outdoors.

It’s estimated the new memorial could cost up to £25,000, but Nick, who was brought up in Wick and now lives in East Preston, believes there is enough goodwill among the people and businesses in Wick to find the money.

In a remarkable document, “The Fallen of Wick in the Great War”, he has brought together his meticulous research into the lives and deaths of all 41 men listed on the original memorial, together with a further 18 he learned about.

Among the dead are five sets of brothers.

Only 21 of the 41 have known graves.

Wick paid a heavy price in the war, losing 59 men from a population of about 1,000.

The oak-framed memorial, with the names painted on to a slate panel, was fixed to the wall of a Scout Hall, formerly a temperance hall, in North Street.

It was taken down when the hall was demolished about 20 years ago, but turned up three years ago in a cupboard at Wick Hall, where it appeared to have been left for safe storage.

The memorial was then taken to Littlehampton Museum and is due to undergo conservation work next year. Curator Juliet Nye said it was intended to return the memorial to Wick, to go on display, possibly in Wick Hall, but no decision had yet been taken on the exact location.

However, Nick feels the men, about whom he learned so much in the course of his research, “deserve their day in the sunlight again”.

He said: “If the people of Wick don’t want a memorial, so be it, but I don’t think that is the case.

“There are a lot of businesses in Wick, and there is a lot of goodwill”

He added: “Wick is Wick, it is its own place. People wanted their boys’ names close to them, not over in big brother Littlehampton.”

Nick says he has spoken to at least 10 families of the men, who would be willing to support a new memorial.

Most of the names are already on Littlehampton’s war memorial, which was built in 1923. Seven not on there will be added.

His own preference, he said, would be for the original memorial to go into Lyminster Primary School, which most of the men attended, so future generations would be reminded of their sacrifice.

Museum curator Juliet said the town council felt it could not support the idea of a new memorial, as the National Memorials Trust considered it would “devalue” the original one.

Anyone who would like to contribute to the new memorial should contact Nick on 07835 686516, or write to him at 5 Angmering Lane, or email [email protected].

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