WORCESTER Scouts will help mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the first of the seven First World War casualties as part of a major county-wide project.
The life of Air Mechanic 2nd Class George Arthur Chance will be remembered with a short commemoration ceremony at Astwood Cemetery on Monday attended by the Scouts from the 13th Worcester troop, the Big Ideas Company and members of the Worcestershire World War One Hundred programme.
Following the ceremony, guests will be invited to review the exhibition of research by the Scouts at Warndon Library into the seven local RAF casualties who lost their lives during World War One.
Air Mechanic 2nd Class George Arthur Chance was born on August 28, 1883 in Stourbridge.
On October 29, 1917 George joined the Royal Flying Corps and soon found himself with 109 Squadron based at South Carlton aerodrome in Lincolnshire, serving as an Air Mechanic 2nd Class.
On July 8, 1918, whilst working on one of the RAF Squadron’s aeroplanes, George was killed in a tragic accident when one of his colleagues inadvertently fired the Vickers machine gun.
George was wounded by two bullets and died of his wounds the following day in Fargo Military Hospital at Larkhill on Salisbury Plain.
The Scouts and team at Warndon Library are keen to encourage descendants of the casualties to come forward, view the exhibition and add to the stories for themselves.
James Robertson, library customer advisor at Warndon Library said: “The Remember RAF 100 project has been incredibly rewarding.
“The Scouts have shown real appreciation and maturity in researching their local history, researching the lives and deaths of men who served in World War One – men not that much older than themselves.”
Adrian Gregson, Worcestershire World War One Hundred project manager said: “The Scouts have undertaken some incredibly poignant, and locally relevant, research as part of the Remember RAF 100 project and we are delighted to have supported them through Worcestershire World War One Hundred.
“Over the past four years we have worked with all our partners to share the stories of the people of Worcestershire and in doing so to remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives at the front as well as the impact at home. I hope many people visit the Scouts’ exhibition and find our more about the lives of these RAF casualties.”
In order to research the casualties, the Scout group began visiting Warndon Library at the end of April as well as a trip Astwood Ceremony to see the graves of the RAF casualties they are researching.
Visit the website at www.ww1worcestershire.co.uk for more about the programme.
