THE names of dozens of The Fallen from Wellington in the First World War may be missing from the memorial in the town’s park.

Local historian Ray Hitchcock is writing a book with town shopkeeper Mike Perry on the subject after carrying out research on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

Mr Hitchcock said a search for ‘Wellington’ had produced the names of about 40 local people whose names were not on the war memorial, inaugurated on June 17, 1921.

“We are concerned that Wellington War Memorial is not complete,” said Mr Hitchcock, who raised the issue at this month’s town council meeting.

He said the names on the memorial mirrored a document held at Wells Cathedral, which he believes was compiled from information parishes across Somerset had supplied.

Mr Hitchcock, 83 of Moseley Park, Wellington, said he had visited many churches in the area in an effort to find out more information but still had to visit others.

He had recently gone to West Buckland where he found one of the names on his list but said he did not want to ‘claim’ Wellington war dead from outside the town. “At the moment we would not want to be specific about any individuals,” he added. “We want to get the history correct and what happens after that people will have to decide.”

Mr Hitchcock has been involved in Wellington Museum and has written two books with Mr Perry available there called Our Boys and Our Boys and a Girl. Their third book, Our Other Boys, on the missing names on the memorial, is hoped to be out this year.