In 1948 two oak panels were unveiled in Brierley Hill Parish Church, St Michaels. On them were displayed the names of those in Brierley Hill Parish who had lost their lives. The dedication reads:
IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE MEN WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES IN THE WAR 1939-194
Reading down the list of “men”, one might be surprised to see a woman’s name: Bessie Rowbottom!
This is the only memorial in Brierley Hill that lists her name. The memorial was the inspiration for today’s talk at the library (25/5/2024). It also inspired the Dan Whitehouse song “Oh Bessie” which was created as part of the Brierley Hill Song Book Project. A video of “Oh, Bessie” is embedded below.
Oh, Bessie – a song by Dan Whitehouse
This song was created as part of the 2023 Brierley Hill Song Book project, funded by Historic England, Dudley MBC and Brierley Hill Community Forum.