Last updated 16:01, Wednesday, 16 July 2008

SIR – I was interested to see Emma McGordon’s article (The Whitehaven News, June 26) about the “lost” Sandwith memorials that record the villagers who served in the Great War and those who died in that war.

Memorial moment: Jim Marshall, William Telfer and John Telfer holding Sandwith War memorials.

The three gentlemen from Sandwith who have found the memorials should be commended for saving them for posterity. Hopefully, they will now be placed in a place of honour so that all who pass by can look at them, “Lest We Forget”.

The Whitehaven Book of Remembrance for WWII should include the names of villagers who lost their lives as a result of the 1939–1945 war.

There is, however, one serviceman whose name appears on the ‘Scrap of Paper’ list of Sandwith villagers who served in the Great War that I recognise . This is Private William Amos Cowman, Border Regiment, Service No 34435, who was called to the colours on 26 May 1917. William was born in Sandwith on July 6, 1898, his parents being John Cowman and Loo Cowman (nee Wilson). After being sent to the Western Front, Pte William Cowman was reported “Missing, presumed killed” and was mourned by family and friends back home in Sandwith. However, with the war drawing to a close, and after all hope had been lost, William’s family learnt the tremendous news that he was still alive although a Prisoner of War. After being released at the end of the war, William received a letter of appreciation from King George V for having had to endure captivity. William Cowman was then able to return to his family and home back in Sandwith. Fortunately, unlike many others who served in the Great War, William Cowman’s wartime story had a happy ending. In later life, William married and emigrated with his family to Canada for a time before returning to West Cumberland, where his descendants still live.

J RITSON

Valley Park, Whitehaven