Appeal to trace descendants of war heroes for street-naming tribute

Trooper Frederick Brawn died following an ambush in Holland, while Daniel Wright was shot down by the Canadian Air Force by mistake while on return from a bombing raid in Berlin.

All three are among the war heroes from Chasetown commemorated in the area's war memorial. Now, Burntwood Town Council plans to dedicate 20 road names at the new 351-home housing estate at Mileston Way to the servicemen.

And an appeal has been launched by the community leaders to trace the families of six heroes who the council have yet to make contact with their relatives.

There are actually 22 names on the memorial, but because three of them share the surname Wright then all of them can be included in the project.

So far 16 families have come forward to give their blessing to the scheme and now those of the remaining six are needed for the long-lasting tribute to become a reality.

Among them is Lance Corporal A.C. Vayro, who was born in Sussex he joined the army aged 18 in 1938 a year before war broke out.

He was then transferred to the 1/6 Battalion and sent to France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force to help repel German attacks in the early part of the war.

Out of 671 troops and officers he was one of 275 to be evacuated later that year while the rest were killed.

It was then that he was moved to Burton-upon-Trent where he met Amy Holdcroft who he went on to marry in 1941.

After the birth of their son the couple moved to Chasetown that year.

In 1944 in was sent back to France joining the 2nd Battallion of East Yorkshire Regiment who's numbers had been depleted at Sword beach during the D-Day landings.

After the battle of Normandy was won the 2nd Battalion endured a four-month long campaign to cross the River Maas into Germany which they reached by January 1945.

It was there near the town of Goch where LC Vayro was fatally wounded during a German counter-attack. He died at a field hospital in Holland the following day.

One of the three 'Wrights' on the memorial is brave hero Daniel Wright who falsified his age to join the Air Force where he became a gunner.

He was just 19 when, upon returning from a bombing raid in Berlin, he was shot down by the Canadian Air Force who mistook his plane for the enemy.

While Chasetown-born Trooper Frederick Brawn, of the 1st Airlanding Squadron, was among a 30-strong patrol of jeeps from C Troop which got ambushed between Wolfheze and Ginkel Heath in Holland.

Aged 21, he was either one of five men who were killed as the jeeps tried to escape or the others who were captured and later killed.

Only eight soldiers managed to escape after the patrol was left with no choice but to speed through enemy positions facing fire on all sides.

Lichfield District Council, which has given planning permission to the Barratt Homes and Taylor Wimpey development, has backed the naming project and called the remaining families to come forward.

Councillor Chris Spruce said: "As part of the street naming process we do need to give any relatives the opportunity to tell us if they would rather the names are not used. So, if you are a descendant of any of the men who are commemorated on Chasetown's war memorial, please get in touch to tell us if you give your consent."

The six soldiers who's relatives have yet to make contact are William Follows, Kenneth James, Samuel Brazier, Charles Pooler, J Derek Wright and John Wright.

Contact Gareth Thomas at Lichfield District Council on 01543 308131 in relation to the project.