Dudley North MP Ian Austin has today joined forces with pupils from Holly Hall to get local hero Archie Moore’s name added to war memorial.

Austin will join pupils from Holly Hall at the war memorial, to launch their campaign, at St Augustine’s church, Stourbridge Road, Holly Hall at 9.30am Friday 12 February 2010.

Austin joined the campaign after he spoke to local pupils at Holly Hall School who had researched Private Moore and decided to raise the £1,600 necessary to add his name to the churches cenotaph.

Austin immediately wrote to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency asking them to give him all available information about Archie Moore to help him and the pupils in their campaign.

Private Archie Moore, of the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, fought in the Second World War and was tragically killed in action on 5 June 1942, at the age of 22.

Private Moore’s gravestone was recently found by members of St Augustine’s Church and is only a memorial tablet as he is buried in a war cemetery in Libya.  The memorial tablet is actually at the sight of his sister Irene grave who tragically drown while on holiday in Cornwall at the age of 29.

As both Archie and his sister died at such young ages, it is believed that the Moore family locally died with them, as a result no-one was present to request that his name was added to the cenotaph in St Augustine’s graveyard along with other local heroes.

Ian Austin MP said:

“As soon as I was contacted by the pupils from Holly Hall I could not wait to join their campaign and immediately wrote to the Veteran Agency to get our fight off to a flying start.”

“I want to get as much information on Private Moore as possible, so that we have all the tools we need to get this great local hero’s sacrifice a fitting memorial.”

“Since becoming an MP I have worked hard to make sure that the brave local men and women who fought to rid Europe of the evils of fascism and racism should get the honour and recognition they deserve.”

“Private Moore died fighting for the British values of democracy, freedom, fairness, equality and tolerance.  This is exactly what marks him out as such a great British hero.”