One of Rutland's fallen- Alban Jarman- is finally remembered after more than a century
One of Rutland’s fallen has finally been remembered after more than a century.
Corporal Alban Jarman from Allenton was killed during the First World War at the Battle of Cambrai in northern France.
But because his small Rutland village did not have a war memorial, his death aged 26 on November 23 1917 remained unrecognised.
Canon Rachel Watts performed a short service attended by Bob and Rosemary Allen, Jane and Joe Thornalley, Sheila Sleath,Ian Watts and Claire Buchanan. Photo: Alan Walters
Decades later, in 2014, when journalists James and Claire Buchanan and others launched the Rutland Remembers website, helped by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the website began investigating Rutland’s war dead.
Until then, it was widely believed the county suffered 525 casualties during the ‘Great War’, a figure based on the work of respected author George Philips, who in the 1920s visited the bereaved and got their stories.
But a mixture of online research, plus visiting every village, town and war memorial in the county, discovered a further fallen 78 men or women with strong links to Rutland.
Claire, who lives in Belton-in-Rutland, explained: “Some of those include the likes of Gladys Walter - buried in Braunston and with a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone. Others were like Hugh Steele of Exton who had lived in Rutland all of his life, and died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and for some reason never got added to the war memorial.”
“We discovered Alban Jarman when we visited Belton church (years before we moved there) and discovered a separate war memorial inside the bell tower dedicated to the Belton bell ringers who fought, and those who died.
“We carried out research using old censuses and First World War military records to build up a picture of him and discovered he served and died for his country and yet was not remembered anywhere he had links to.”
Alban Jarman was born in East Norton, just across the border into Leicestershire. The village claims to be a ‘Thankful’ village. This signifies they lost no one in the Great War, (clearly wrong given Alban was born there), which meant no war memorial for him there.
The farm labourer had moved to the hamlet of Allexton before the war with his mother. Though it has a church, it too had no war memorial.
But as Rutland Remembers continued its research, it was clear Alban looked more to Belton than anywhere else.
Claire explained: “He was an active bell ringer in the village, and represented the village in Guild competitions. He also played football in the village team.”
On discovering Alban, Claire spoke to longtime Belton resident Bob Allen, a former member of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and captain from the Territorial Army, whose committee work oversaw many celebrations for last year’s centenary of the end of the First World War.
Bob then took over and tracked down living relatives of Alban, who attended the Remembrance Service in the village last November to mark 100 years since the Armistice and heard Alban’s name read out for the first time amongst the list of Belton’s war dead.
Bob then began work on having Alban remembered physically with his name added to the war memorial. He spoke to Belton Parish Council, who agreed to have the plaque made and pay for it.
A year ago the parish council applied to Rutland County Council for planning permission for Alban’s name to be added to the historic monument.
Bob admitted: “It’s been a long-winded process.”
This Sunday, at 10am, a service will be held at the Belton War Memorial, featuring at least five members of the Jarman family, who will be coming from across Leicestershire. Kendrew Barracks will also lay a wreath.
This follows a blessing of Alban’s name at the memorial, which took place on Tuesday.
Bob, who is 85, added: “The Jarman family are so delighted and so are we that he is to be recognised as he should.”
Coun Steve Wilby of Belton Parish Council said: “The whole village is immensely proud of the fact that everybody who died in the First World war now has their name on the memorial.”
Claire added: “Belton lost two bell ringers in the First World War. Charles Reeve died just a week after Alban in the same battle. Neither of their bodies were recovered and they are remembered on the Cambria Memorial (in France). The fact Alban doesn’t have a grave makes it all the more symbolic to us that he is finally remembered locally.”
