A MEMORIAL to more than 130 fallen heroes from a Swindon school has been restored and given pride of place in a chapel ahead of the First World War centenary.

The Sanford Street School roll of honour will be rededicated with a ceremony by local historians and writers on Saturday at Radnor Street Cemetery in Old Town.

The wooden board had been gathering dust in council storage until history group Swindon Heritage put it on display in the spruced-up chapel on Monday. Sanford Street was one of the main schools in Swindon and was attended by boys from across all social classes at the time of the First World War.

Author Mark Sutton, a military historian, said: “The roll of honour looks like it was always meant to have been there. “There are three men on there who are buried at Radnor Street and numerous others who are remembered at the cemetery on their parents’ graves because they are buried in France or other places. There are about 10 sets of brothers on there. One family, the Preaters, lost three sons who are remembered at Radnor Street on their parents’ grave.” The memorial bears witness to the huge toll the 1914-1918 conflict took on local families.

Mark said: “To me and a lot of other people it’s a really special memorial. There are two sets of three brothers on there – the Preaters and the Winchursts lost three sons each. “I’ve got photographs of a lot of the men as well as medals and researched nearly all of them. “It feels like something that should be there has returned.”

The War Office commandeered Sanford Street for use as a temporary hospital in August 1914. An entry in the school’s logbook dated March 20, 1936 reads: “Received today the memorial to Old Sanfordians who fell in the Great War. It is a very beautifully made memorial, paid for by money in the school’s private fund.” The town centre school accepted girls in 1966 and up until January the building was used by Swindon Council’s children’s department. Mark will give a talk at the rededication, with a display featuring photographs and medals from the war.

Fellow local historians Mark Child and Roger Trayhurn are also due to attend. Mince pies and wine will be provided along with music from the era. The event takes place on Saturday between 11am and 2pm.