As well as the main Somercotes War Memorial situated next to the Church of St. Thomas, other memorials exist to the fallen:
PHOTO: Birchwood Methodist Chapel War Memorial
The Methodist Chapel was well attended in the early 1900s and many members of the congregation fought during the war. A memorial plaque was installed inside the chapel to commemorate the soldiers who died, and was unveiled on 25 September 1921. A newspaper report on the unveiling and dedication of the Memorial was published in the Ripley & Heanor News on 30 September 1921. The article read: “WAR MEMORIAL AT BIRCHWOOD – UNVEILING AND DEDICATION – An impressive service was held at the Birchwood U M Church on Sunday last. The occasion was the unveiling of a mural tablet of marble, as a memorial to those scholars and teachers who fell in the Great War. The unveiling ceremony was performed by Sir Charles Seely who said we should all remember that by the sacrifice of their young manhood the nation secured its continued existence as a propsperous race. He hoped that they would not forget such sacrifices, and those memorials would remind those who follow us what those young men did for the nation. Mr Walter Cooper conducted the service and mentioned that out of the 56 who enlisted from the church, 13 had fallen. The hymns, ‘Our God, Our Help’, ‘God of Our Fathers’ and ‘For All the Saints’ were sung. Mr George Hunt read the Scriptures, and delivered an impressive prayer. The choir rendered an anthem, ‘The Vital Spark’ under the conductorship of Mr John Willgoose. An address was given by Mr F Bonsall. Inscribed on the tablet were the following names: William Durham; Herbert Clarke; James Clarke; Joseph Darrington; Arthur Reek; Lewis Robinson; Arthur Wilson; Samuel Bilson; Samuel Carrier, John Hollingworth, Joseph Leeson, Carl Smith and Frank Ellis. Their name liveth for ever”
PHOTO: Salvation Army War Memorial
The Memorial Plaque inside the Salvation Army Citadel is dedicated to Robert Edward Gaunt who was an active member of the congregation.
PHOTO: Leabrooks Miners Welfare War Memorial
There was a Memorial dedicated to those who fell in the Second World War situated inside the Leabrooks Miners Welfare Institute. This Memorial contained the names of the members of the Welfare. The building has since been demolished but the Memorial was saved and is now situated at the Church of St. James, Riddings. The names include those who came from Riddings, as the Welfare was popular throughout the area. This website lists only those men who had an association with the Parish of Somercotes, as it is now.
A news article regarding the unveiling of the memorial was published in the Derby Daily Telegraph dated Monday 7 April 1947, which read "MEMORIAL TABLET AT LEABROOKS - Mr George Leah, the president of Leabrooks Miners’ Welfare Institute, yesterday unveiled a white stone plaque erected in memory of the eight members killed in the war. A service was conducted by the Rev. R. J. Bowyer (Vicar of Somercotes) and Mrs Leah presented savings bank books to the eight children of four of the fallen members, each containing deposits of £16. 10s. This money represents the balance from the former Services Comforts Fund."