Victoria Cross heroes to be honoured with memorials

Stones will be laid in the home towns of Victoria Cross recipients – in recognition of Britain's highest award for battlefield valour – which include Tipton, Wolverhampton and Walsall.

The commemorative stones will be a centrepiece of the events being planned from 2014 to 2018 to mark the conflict 100 years on.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has announced a national competition to design specially-commissioned stones which will be presented to councils in the areas where VC recipients were born.

These include two from Walsall – John Henry Carless, an ordinary seaman during the First World War and Charles George Bonner, captain of HMS Dunraven, which was shelled in 1917.

Roland Elcock from Wolverhampton and Thomas Barratt from Tipton, a private in the 7th Battalion, the South Staffordshire Regiment, will also be honoured.

There will be 28 stones unveiled next year to commemorate medals awarded in 1914, and other stones will be revealed each year up until 2018. Each stone will also have a QR reader, which people can scan using a smartphone to reveal details about the recipient.

Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council, welcomed the plans. He said: "The Victoria Cross is recognised throughout the world as the medal for the most heroic acts imaginable, so this is a fantastic idea.

"Our forces, and people who give the ultimate sacrifice, should be honoured in every way possible."

As part of centenary events, new moves to restore war memorials across the country have also been announced as well as a programme of cultural events, candlelit vigils and a service of commemoration attended by Commonwealth leaders.

The centenary of Britain's entry into the war will be marked on August 4 next year with a service of commemoration at Glasgow Cathedral for Commonwealth leaders on the day after the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.

Mr Pickles said: "It is our duty to remember the British and Commonwealth troops who lost their lives fighting in the Great War and we are determined to make sure their bravery for King and Country is not forgotten.

"Laying paving stones to mark these Victoria Cross heroes will ensure that there is a permanent memorial to all the fallen who fought for our country and the competition is a great way for people from all corners of the United Kingdom to get involved.

"This will connect communities to their shared history, help residents understand how their area played its part in the Great War. It will also ensure memories of that sacrifice for British freedom and liberty are kept alive for generations to come."

The Government has also announced more help will be made available for communities to restore and refurbish their First World War memorials.

A new website is to be created to make sure people right across the country can get funding and support so that all memorials are in good condition in time for November 2018.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: "The First World War had a fundamental effect on the course of our history.

"It also saw nearly a million British military and civilian deaths, heroes from communities across the Commonwealth who fought for King and Country.

"But as time passes, the living links that connect that terrible time and the present day have dwindled.

"So, it is really important that we mark the centenary which saw some of the darkest days in our history and remind everyone of the sacrifice that was made – and how it has affected all our lives today."