A few years ago, I received a message from local historian Levison Wood, who was researching a book on the ‘Fighting Fifth’ Battalion of the North Staffords Regiment. As Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Armed Forces Champion at the time, and someone with a strong family link to the Staffordshire Regiment, I agreed to support the project and ensure a copy of his work went to the City Council.
Subsequently, Levison spoke to me about a ‘missing’ banner he had seen in photos. He believe it was at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery - a unique piece of social and military history, that had been regularly shown at gatherings of the battalion, but which had vanished. Levison’s feeling was correct - after a bit of a search, the banner was found and it was my pleasure this week to be at the unveiling.
Nearly 70ft long and hand painted, the banner is in remarkably good condition however is in need of restoration to preserve it for future generations. A digitalised version is currently on display, which lists nearly 1000 names of those who lost their lives serving in the ‘Fighting Fifth’, along with meticulous detail within the banner itself, including some humorous touches!
You can find more detail about it in this article from the Sentinel. The banner has also received national coverage in the Daily Mail here, the Daily Express here, the BBC here, and the Forces Network here.