Council to hold special ceremony to thank Bassetlaw’s Second World War veterans

The ceremony will be held at Bassetlaw District Council this week to celebrate the service of Second World War soldiers, veterans and community servants.

It comes as part of council plans to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with families of war veterans and people involved in the war effort encouraged to apply to the authority so they can be celebrated.

The ceremony follows the full council meeting in March unanimously approving a ‘Veterans Thank You’ scheme, with councillors agreeing the first presentations would be held at a special meeting.

Now families of former soldiers and surviving veterans will be given a special badge and a scroll of recognition to mark their service when an extraordinary council meeting is held on Thursday, June 16.

The scheme will also celebrate any individual who undertook duties either at their workplace or at home to support the war effort, as well as people who lost their lives doing this service.

This comes alongside Bassetlaw residents who served in the Army, the Navy and the Royal Air Force, and those from the district who lost their lives in the conflict.

In a report, Steve Brown, head of corporate services at the council, said: “The Bassetlaw Scheme is linked to the Platinum Jubilee and reflects [The Queen’s] service in the Second World War.

“There are obviously very few surviving individuals from this period left alive. It is intended therefore that relatives could apply but only one scroll and badge will be made available per veteran.

“To qualify, the veteran must have been born in Bassetlaw or lived in Bassetlaw during the war.”

Bob Ilett, 85, who grew up in Worksop, will be attending the event on Thursday to receive the badge and scroll to commemorate his father Frank Ilett, who served in the Royal Air Force during the war.

He has been helping Bassetlaw District Council to identify the families of people who served in the conflict and says he has found a relative of one of Worksop’s first casualties from the war who will also be attending the event.

Mr Ilett, who now lives in Retford, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “My father was unusual in that he was conscripted into the RAF a few months before his 40th birthday.

“He did his training with a lot of 18 and 19-year-old lads and came last at everything until they had a bowls tournament when he won hands down.

“It’s a pity so many of those who served in the war are no longer with us to be able to receive the awards directly.

“This is about 25 years too late and would have been better if the actual veterans, the men and women who served, were acknowledged personally, but it’s a case of better late than never.”

The special ceremony will be held at 6.30pm in The Ballroom at Retford Town Hall.

Councillor Madelaine Richardson (Lab), chair of the council, said: “I am delighted to be able to welcome the first recipients of the scheme to Council on Thursday evening, both veterans and family members of those who served.

“I am also looking forward to visiting a number of Bassetlaw veterans over the next couple of weeks to make the presentations of the badge and scroll.

“I’d encourage family members to apply to the scheme on behalf of relatives who served during the war so we can further recognise their service and contribution.”