Thanks to recent work on “The Willow Beds” the village’s equivalent of a War Memorial now stands in a secluded but idyllic setting adjacent to the playing field. It commemorates the fact that no villager who fought in either of the two World Wars lost his life. The Roll of Honour displayed in St. Mark’s Church lists 21 villagers who took part in WW1 and a further 16 who served in WW2.

In his 1930ís book ìThe Kingís Englandî the author Arthur Mee coined the term “Thankful Villages” for places that did not lose a single man during the First World War. Amongst 16,000 villages, he identified 24 of them, but later research indicates that the number is probably nearer to fifty. Very few places survived both World War without loss; Lancashire possesses two; Nether Kellet and Arkholme, although there is some dispute regarding the death in action of Lance Corporal Fred Murray of the Border Regiment, who was born in Arkholme. However, it is believed that he moved to Kirby Lonsdale, and his name is inscribed on that town’s War Memorial.

The following men from Nether Kellet served in WW1:

  • C.BIBBY
  • J.BIBBY
  • W.BIRTLE
  • E.BRADSHAW
  • B.CORLESS
  • W.COURT
  • C.CROSSLEY
  • G.E.HARRISON
  • J.T.HARRISON
  • W.E.HARRISON
  • W.JACKSON DCM
  • J.LYTHAM
  • C.ORR
  • J.POLLOCK
  • G.POLLOCK
  • C.ROBINSON
  • R.H.ROBINSON
  • H.ROBINSON
  • A.ROBINSON
  • W.STOTT
  • J.STANDEN

Nether Kellet’s Peace Stone was installed to commemorate the end of the Second World War in which 16 villagers served. It bears the following inscription –

“This tribute to a lasting peace was planted by T.C. Butler-Cole, Esq of Tunstall House and Mrs S.T. Whalan of this village at the Nether Kellet peace celebrations on the 8th Sept 1945 to commemorate the cessation of hostilities in the 2nd world war, 3rd Sept 1939 – 15 Aug 1945”

For further information please click here. (http://www.hellfirecorner.co.uk/thankful.htm)

Harry Fancy