Stories of heroes from World Wars shared and honoured at Braywick

A nationwide exhibition from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission returned home to Maidenhead on Tuesday as part of an ongoing tour marking 80 years since VE day.

The Commission (CWGC), based in Marlow Road, was founded in 1917.

It strives to commemorate the 1.7million men and women from the Commonwealth who lost their lives in the two World Wars, with memorials at 23,000 locations spanning more than 150 territories.

The For Evermore Tour is a roving exhibition with interactive elements, going around the UK to mark the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day (Victory over Japan, August 15).

It began on May 2 in Coventry Cathedral, which was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Blitz, and is visiting a number of significant places, from multiple war grave cemeteries to the historically important Bletchley Park.

On Tuesday, it came to Braywick Leisure Centre, accompanied by a symbolic ‘Torch for Peace,’ designed for CWGC by the creators of the Olympic torch.

The Torch for Peace is CWGC’s lasting symbol of commemoration for those lost, explained Lewis Brown, the Commission’s media officer.

“I think it’s also an enduring symbol of passing on a legacy,” he said.

“That’s quite key for the Commission [and its work] ensuring that all of these [soldiers’] stories continue to be told.”

The gold torch, displayed at the various tour venues, attracts a lot of attention from visitors.

It is etched with floral motifs inspired by drawings and carvings made by soldiers in the trenches.

Its handle features six white rings containing pieces of Portland stone – the same material used in iconic CWGC headstones.

Each ring represents one of the six governments funding the Commission: UK, Canada, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Australia.

“It’s an absolutely beautiful torch, very impressive,” Lewis said. “We very much hope to continue using it as a timeless, ongoing symbol.”

Plans are afoot to have the torch journeying globally in the near future across 20 countries.

Meanwhile, the For Evermore Tour has been giving people all over the UK the chance to discover the stories of the men and women of the Commonwealth forces who sacrificed their lives.

Over the past year, CWGC has been collecting the long-lost stories of these individuals, unearthed from the attics of surviving family members. The Commission asks that people continue uploading stories to its For Evermore online platform.

The point of it is to record these fascinating and sometimes heartbreaking stories before they are lost forever, Lewis said, as more and more Second World War veterans pass away.

For one interactive part of the tour, a magnetic board was set up for visitors to Braywick to write out and stick up their own tributes.

“There’s been some really charming messages that are left from people from all walks of life,” said Lewis.

Overall, the Maidenhead stop on the tour was visited by more than 250 people throughout the day, including community groups and school children from Braywick Court School.

“It was a great event and it felt great to do this in Maidenhead, which has been our home for decades,” said Lewis.

“Braywick Leisure Centre is a key hub the local area and I think it’s a huge reason why we got so many people coming in to see us.”

Though the tour is UK only, tribute events will also be held at CWGC sites abroad in Europe, Kenya, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand.

This is likely to be the only year this particular tour is put on – but the Torch of Peace will continue to appear at key events in the future.