In the early 1920s, the government was giving out grants for the erection of war memorials to parishes across the country.
One parish - the small hamlet of Fulstow in Lincolnshire - refused the offer. The authorities wouldn't let them put the name of Private Charles Kirkman on the memorial. Their reason? Private Kirkman had been shot for 'desertion'. He was a professional soldier, called up as a reservist. He was twice wounded in the war, and finally could take no more, and just walked away, crippled by shell shock. He was caught, court-martialled and shot on 23 September 1917.
The village was united that if Charles couldn't be on the memorial, they wouldn't have one. They knew he was no coward, and now we all of the dreadful condition 'shell shock'.
The village didn't have Remembrance Day services for decades.
I know this story because my dad and his sister and brother were from Fulstow.
in 2005 the village got a memorial plaque erected to commemorate all the dead from both world wars.
Although I haven't visited Fulstow for over 50 years, I can recall visiting families who lost men. [Post edited 9 Nov 2018 17:29]
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