SOLDIERS who died in the Great War whose names are featured on a South Oxford war memorial are to be remembered at a special ceremony.

Oxford historian Liz Woolley has been researching the backgrounds of the 66 soldiers on the Grandpont war memorial at St Matthew’s Church in Marlborough Road The names of five of the 66 men who died in the First World War are being read out at the Turning the Pages ceremony, at Christ Church Cathedral off St Aldate’s tomorrow.

The five men were all soldiers in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

Among them were Arthur Dolley, who lived in Western Road and Abingdon Road.

A Private with the 1st/4th Battalion of the Ox and Bucks, he was killed aged 24 when a trench collapsed on December 3, 1916, at Hebuterne, France, and is buried at Hebuterne communal cemetery near Calais.

His great-niece Annabel Panting is expected to attend the ceremony and has a letter written by Arthur from the trenches.

Mum-of-one Mrs Panting, 46, who was born in South Oxford and now lives in Bicester, added: “I am proud that Arthur is on the memorial and that he is being remembered at the Turning the Pages ceremony. It’s tragic that a whole generation of young men lost their lives in the conflict. It must have been hard for 66 men to be lost from such a small community. I am looking forward to attending and remembering Arthur and the other soldier.”

Charles Tyrrell, a Private with the 1st/4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, was killed in action on December 31, 1915, aged 20, also at Hebuterne.

There is a marble memorial to him on the wall at St Matthew’s Church and Geoff Tyrrell, his great-nephew, is also planning to attend the ceremony.

Colonel Mike Vince MBE, list organiser for the Turning the Pages, said: “For those named, relatives are expected to attend the service. These men are remembered from the Grandpont church and are the subject of a project being researched by Liz Woolley.”

Ms Woolley, from South Oxford, said: “We hope representatives from all five families will be there.”