West Middlesex Gazette - Saturday 15 July 1922 published a lengthy report re the unveiling of the plaque that had been installed at the Brentford Gas Company's Southall works (43 of whose men were among the Company's 107 former employees who had died): 'A TABLET OF REMEMBRANCE. Unveiling of Gas Works War Memorial. LARGE GATHERING AT IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. Erected just inside the entrance to the works, in a prominent position where all who enter will pass, a memorial tablet recalls to memory the magnificent part that the Southall works of the Brentford Gas Company played in the Great War and commemorates for all time the heroic sacrifice of those employees who, in the simple and eloquent words of the inscription, "laid down their lives for us and for their country.' The memorial, a solid bronze tablet, to a neat and artistic design by Mr. W. B. Lewis. a member of the Company's staff, is built in a wall adjoining the Company's offices on the right hand side of the roadway that enters the works. In raised letters, the inscription stands out in bold relief: "In proud and grateful remembrance of our comrades in these works who during the Great War laid down their lives for us and for their country." Then follow the names of the 107 employees of the Brentford Gas Company who were killed or died in the war, with these words at the foot: Greater love hath no man than this." The names of men attached to the Southall Works included on the tablet are: A. Brooks, J. Brown, R. Cameron, G. Cordery, A. Cornwall. S. Currington. M. Dorsett, H. Filbey, A. Gardner, J. J. Goldsmith. W. Greenway, F. Hahnenleld. W. T. A. Hardy, H. Higgins. H. P. Hoare, A. T. R. Hudson, F. Keen. R. E. Kilby, G. Knight, W. J. Luck, F. W. Lyne. F. G. R. Manning, L. Maynard, J. Miles, A. Murphy. C. Newman, E. G. Norton, C. Nutley. S. Pavis, E. Pickering, B. Randall. G. Rawlinson, A. G. Redding. C. E. Salter, W. E Salter. H. Snelling. J. S. V. Stoneham, W. Tilley, H. C. Walker, R. S. Walters, H. Webb, A. J. White. H. White. IMPRESSIVE SERVICE. The unveiling of the memorial took place on Wednesday afternoon in the presence of a large gathering that included relatives of the fallen and pensioners and employees of the Company. Work ceased for the time in order that the workmen and staff might be present. Many of the ex-Service employees wore the medals or ribbons they had gained in the war. Mr Reginald James Neville Neville (Chairman of the Brentford Gas Company) performed the unveiling and amongst those present were: Sir R. S. Adair, Brig -Gen. Cowie, Mr. D. Milne-Watson, Mr H. E. Griffith, Mr. W. Mann, and Dr. Page (directors of the Company); Mr. A. A, Johnston (engineer and general manager), Mr. F. H. G. Morris (engineer. Southall works). Mr R. Goodman (deputy engineer and manager), Mr. H. L. Mann (secretary), Mr. F.. R. H. Wingfield (chief inspector), and Mr. P. Hulme Hornby (assistant engineer, Southall works); the Rev. S. M. Young (vicar of Holy Tnnity, Southall); and Mr. A. Lawrence Houlder (clerk) and Mr. J. B. Thomson (surveyor). representing the Southall Norwood Urban District Council, Councillor W. G. Pope. J.P., the chairman of the Council, regretted being unable to be present. An impressive and moving service commenced with the singing of the hymn. "Fight the good fight with all thy might." announced by the Rev. Young. Led by the Brentford Gas Works (Southall) Prize Band. the assembly joined feelingly in the singing of the hymn. The Rev. Young then read the opening sentence of the burial service and followed with prayer. An appropriate lesson. taken from Ecclesiastes xiiv, 1-15, was read by Dr. Page. and the second hymn. "O valiant hearts, who to your glory came," was sung. Mr R.J. Neville Neville then unveiled the memorial and, following an interval of silence, came the rolling of the drums and the sounding of the Last Post by drummers and buglers of the 8th Middlesex Regiment, who were present through the kind permission of Lieut. Col. R. S. Murray -White, D.S.O. A NOBLE RECORD. In his address, Mr. Neville said they were there that day upon a very memorable occasion to take part in a most moving an occasion when all distinctions of class or creed. of politics and suchlike petty things, were swept aside and hushed - so truly did "one touch of nature make memorial to the illustrious dead, to the dead whom they and he had known...'. 'After reading the names, Mr. Neville continued that he would give them the particulars of the contribution - the noble contribution - which the men of the Company employed at those works made to the country in its hour of need. They had employed at those works 450 men, and of these 213 went from the works. That was nearly one in two. Of those 213 gallant men, 43 were killed or died - very nearly one in five. Two commissions were won and nine honours. The number of wounded. not including those killed, was 48. In addition 50 Southall men became non-commissioned officers. He would also like to point out that the amount subscribed by Southall employees to the War Relief Fund was £2,150 - a magnificent contribution...'. 'The Benediction was then pronounced by the Rev. Young, and, after the sounding of the Reveille, the band struck up "God Save the King," the singing of which concluded the ceremony. Wreaths were afterwards laid at the foot of the memorial...' (The report included a photo of the plaque). https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002572/19220715/081/0005

West Middlesex Gazette - Saturday 8th July 1922 had printed the following announcement re the unveiling of the twin plaque in St George's Church Brentford: 8th BATT. MIDDLESEX REGIMENT. "B" Ccmpany Orders for week ending July 15. Sunday: Company and battalion drums will attend the unveiling of the Brentford Gas Company's War Memorial, at St. George's Church, Brentford. Company parade at Drill Hall, Ealing, 1.30 p.m. Dress - belt and bayonet. Medals will be worn'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002464/19220708/149/0009

The National Archives reference NT:GAL/BFG : 'The Brentford Gas Company was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1821. Its main works lay on either side of Brentford High Street, with a long frontage to the River Thames. Due to its location, expansion of the works was limited. In 1868 the company built a new works adjacent to Montague Road, in Southall. The company took over the Norwood (Middlesex) undertaking in 1870 and closed down the works. In 1915 Brentford Gas Co. took over the Staines and Egham District Gas & Co., whose works were at Staines and were kept operational, and the Sunbury Gas Consumers Co., whose works it closed. In 1924 Harrow and Stanmore Gas Co. was absorbed followed by Richmond Gas Co. in 1925 whose works remained operational until 1933. The Brentford Gas Company was taken over by the Gas Light & Coke Co. in 1926. Between 1929 and 1935 the whole of the Brentford works were rebuilt. The Brentford works were still in operation by 1957'. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/0bda74c3-5d55-4a27-8575-8fab0a91dd35

The National Archives records that, in 1998, the London Gas Museum at Bromley-by-Bow 'began to disperse its collections as it prepared to close'. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/61b81fa5-23b3-4d8b-b9fb-f73a61a0bbb2#-1

"Brentford Gas Company War Memorial Plaque." Historic England, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1477363. Accessed 28 June 2024.

Photographs of the plaque and the Memorial Garden in which it now stands can be found at https://lookup.london/bromley-by-bow-gas-works-garden/

Our record of the twin of this plaque, which was originally erected in St George's Church in Brentford, can be found at https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/12067