HUNDREDS of people flocked to Birkby to celebrate the return of a war memorial.
Tears were shed in Norman Park yesterday as the Lone Soldier - destroyed by vandals last year - was reinstated in memory of Birkby and Fartown's war dead.
Local dignitaries, war veterans and young children looked on in silence as the bronze monument was unveiled as part of a moving re-dedication.
Candles were lit and wreaths and flowers put at the foot of the memorial to remember the 200 men whose names were again there for the world to see.
Members of the Royal British Legion opened the ceremony with a procession to the statue through the park, led by Linthwaite Band.
Crowds of people, young and old, took part in the service, led by the Rev Martin Lowles, Vicar of St John's Church, Birkby.
The Mayor of Kirklees, Clr Mary Harkin, and the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Dr Ingrid Roscoe, unveiled the restored monument.
Birkby resident Norah England, 89, who was at the original dedication, delivered a touching speech.
The former teacher, two of whose uncles are named on the monument, said: "I was only five, but even then I had the feeling I was part of a friendly neighbourhood.
" There was a strong and shared sorrow, because hardly one family had been untouched by the slaughter of the First World War." She urged young people to preserve the site by maintaining a sense of community.
Frank Kergon, 81, of Birkby, was there to pay tribute to his brother, whose name is on the plaques. He said: "It was a wonderful service, very moving."
