A special ceremony was held in Highbridge on Thursday (March 29th) when the town’s Mayor officially unveiled the new replacements for two wartime plaques that were stolen by mean thieves last year.
Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here that two plaques dedicated to wartime hero Frank Foley and a group of American soldiers who served locally during the World War Two had been stolen from Highbridge’s Southwell Gardens.
The plaques – which were believed to have been taken for their scrap metal value – have been replaced by non-metallic, granite ones.
Burnham and Highbridge’s Mayor Michael Clarke and Mayoress Maria Clarke attended a special unveiling ceremony in the Memorial Gardens at Southwell House on Thursday.
The trustees of Highbridge War Memorial Trust organised the service of dedication, which was led by Reverend Sharon Crossman.
The American plaque was originally unveiled in the Garden of Remembrance on the 50th Anniversary of ‘D’ Day in June 1994. The wartime plaque was dedicated to American soldiers responsible for the operation of a large petrol depot located in the Highbridge area. The fuel played a major role in the invasion of the French coast on 6th June 1944 and in support of Allied advances on the continent.
Highbridge-born war hero Frank Foley’s plaque was also located in the gardens in honour of his life-saving work during the war. His plaque, pictrured, stated: “The spy who saved the lives of 10,000 Jews from the Holocaust. Born at 7 Walrow Terrace, Highbridge.”
Highbridge War Memorial Trust will be holding a fundraising Coffee Morning on March 31st at Southwell House in Highbridge between 10am and 12 noon when all will be welcome.
