A TOWN's Royal British Legion is searching for more information about men from Bromyard and the surrounding villages who fought in the Battle of Passchendaele.

The Bromyard RBL is holding a ceremony of remembrance 100 years on from the First World War battle which lasted from July 31 to November 6 in 1917 in Belgium.

An estimated 245,000 Allied and 215,000 German casualties (dead, wounded or missing) fell after approximately 100 days of heavy fighting for a movement of the front line of only 8 km.

As part of the remembrance ceremony on August 5, the RBL branch is holding an exhibition about those men who lost their lives in the battle from Bromyard, but also about those who survived.

The names, photographs and stories collected will be put on display in the Public Hall for a special Passchendaele tea.

Major (Retd) Jan Brodie-Murphy is gathering the information. She said: "Some people came home some did not – we are keen to learn of everyone’s story."

She is looking for information such as full Christian and surnames, date of birth, rank held, service number and any medal awarded.

She is also keen to borrow any First World War ephemera, medals, papers, uniform, and death penny for the display.

So far, Major Brodie-Murphy has found the names of 26 soldiers from Bromyard and local parishes who died at Passchendaele.

Of these, she has identified four, who are Vernon Horace Smallman, Alfred Green, Eckley Oxtoby Etheredge and William Fletcher Portsmore.

Mrs Brodie added: "We are keen for people out in the locale to inform us if they lost a family member at Passchendaele- then I can start searching."

If you can help contact Jan Brodie-Murphy on 07900 394345 or email janetbrodiemurphy@gmail.com.

On August 5, during the ceremony the names of the fallen will be read out.

Bromyard Cadets, legion members and members of the public will march through Bromyard from the Market Square at 2.45 pm to the green outside the Public Hall, where a ceremony will be held to affiliate the Bromyard Cadets to the British Legion, followed by the remembrance service.

After the service a special tea, prepared by Gill Turner and her team, will be served in the Public Hall. Tickets for the tea are £10 each and can be bought from any legion members.