A CHURCH will honour the lives of six soldiers who died trying to defuse a bomb near Hook.

The congregation at St Nicholas’ Church, in Church Path, Newnham, will witness the unveiling of a memorial plaque at a special service on Sunday. The plaque will list the six members of 48th Section, 6th Bomb Disposal Company Royal Engineers who died on August 18, 1940. They were blown up as they tried to dig out an unexploded German bomb that had been dropped on a brickyard opposite Crown Lane, Nately Scures.

Diffusing the bomb was seen as crucial because it was so close to the railway line.

But as they dug down to the bomb, it exploded, showering dirt, rubble and body parts over nearby houses. It also injured their NCO, Lance Sergeant Button.

The men who died were driver Fred Gavid, 22, and sappers Arthur Hill, 20, Ralph Moxon, 21, Douglas Vince, 23, Fred Warner, 23, and Arthur White, 23.

Richard Fouracre, a member of the parochial church council at Newnham, said: “It was decided that although there is a memorial at Hook, nothing has been done in Newnham, and as it happened within the parish boundary, it was felt the church could remember them.”

The unveiling of the latest plaque will take place after the 11am service this Sunday at the church.