THE stories of parishioners of a small Darlington church who served in the Second World War have been researched by a local historian and are to be recorded on a permanent memorial.

Local historian, Anthony Magrys, decided to find out about the men and women who served at St Herbert’s CE Church on Yarm Road after the last known parishioner who fought in the war died last year.

Now a Roll of Honour detailing the names of those who died in the war itself and those who fought and survived has been made and will be dedicated in the Church Hall.

Only three parishioners are known to have died in the war and they will have a separate section recording their names.

Mr Magrys, who is appealing for family members to come forward before Sunday’s dedication service, explained St Herbert’s previously had no war-related memorial.

The three who died were: Sister Jessie Darnell, an army nursing sister who died in India, possibly of natural causes, Aircraftman George Musgrave who died as a prisoner of war of the Japanese and Stoker Arthur Worrall who died on board HMS Hood, the ship which was sunk in 1941 with the loss of 1,415 lives (only three survived).

Mr Magrys has discovered the names of five parishioners who served and survived the war and their names will be recorded separately.

The money for the plaque has been raised by parishioners and money will be raised for this year’s Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal at Sunday’s service, which starts at 9.30am. After the church dedication the memorial plaque will be in the Church Hall and there will be small display.

In a separate project Mr Magrys researched and published a booklet about the 15 men who died at the now-closed Eastbourne Methodist Church which was in Louisa Street. There was a plaque to those men and St Herbert’s Church agreed for it to be installed in that church, despite having no memorial plaque of its own.

Mr Magrys, who stressed he would love any relatives to attend, said: “When the last member of the congregation who served passed away last year I suggested that part of the donations from his funeral went to putting up a memorial at St Herbert’s and this was agreed.”