Staffordshire's National Memorial Arboretum to salute historic regiment
A permanent memorial costing nearly £50,000 to honour an historic Army regiment is set to be unveiled this weekend.
The monument at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, honours those in killed in action while serving in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI).
It will make particular reference to the 4,663 soldiers of the KSLI who died during the First World War.
The event, due to take place at 11am on Sunday, is set to attract hundreds of people. Maurice Halliday, a former warrant officer in the regiment, who served with the KSLI from 1962 until 1985, said: "On Sunday the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire will unveil a massive memorial for those who were killed.
"It is eight foot wide and 5.5 inches high, and is made of foot-thick green granite. On it will be emblazoned with the KSLI name, motto and cap badge. There will also be two benches either side which are also made of granite.
"One will feature the coat of arms of Bridgnorth with the date 1755 and the other featuring the coat of arms of Shrewsbury with the date 1759.
"It will honour everybody who served in the regiment. The recruiting area was obviously the whole of Shropshire, most of Herefordshire, and large chunks of West Midlands, including Wolverhampton, Cannock and Walsall."
Mr Halliday, co-ordinating officer of the KSLI memorial appeal, added: "About 500 people will be there on Sunday, including quite few senior officers from the KSLI."
