The nephew of a former Cranfield’s Mill worker who died in the First World War is forking out hundreds of pounds for a new memorial on Ipswich’s waterfront.
Ivan Trusler’s uncle William was a boy cook aboard HM Trawler Burnley, named after the last post-war team to win the FA Cup.
The boy cook was just 16 when he was killed aboard the Harwich-based ship, sunk by a mine on November 25, 1916 off Orford Ness. He was remembered with other former Cranfield’s workers who died during the war on a plaque at the mill.
Mr Trusler said he first came across the plaque by chance.
“I went to the Cranfield’s Mill on business and there was a war memorial at the car park,” he said. “I was quite amazed to find my uncle’s name on it.”
But when the site was redeveloped the memorial was removed.
Mr Trusler said: “(Historian) Taff Gillingham contacted me and said he knew someone who knew something about it.
“This other person was also a war historian and by chance he was in the Cranfield’s car park and he saw a skip with the remains of the war memorial in.
“I thought it was sacrilege and I couldn’t understand why it wasn’t protected. That led me to decide to do something about it.”
Unable to find out for certain if the remains of the memorial had been saved or destroyed, Mr Trusler set about sorting out a replacement.
“If we could trace the original memorial we would have pieced it together but someone took a photo of it and that way we’ve got everyone’s names.
“We found a company that could make a suitable plaque. It’s going to be four foot by two foot, so it’ll be quite substantial.
“It’s going to cost more than £300 but I’m paying for it out of my own money because I feel so strongly about it.”
The plaque, which will be made of silver laminate with black engraving, will be installed at DanceEast’s Jerwood Dance House close to the site of the original.
Mr Trusler hopes to have a ceremony unveiling the new memorial in September or October.
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