Play for VJ Day remembers last Leek soldier to die during World War II

A powerful new stage production, A True British Soldier, will premiere at St Paul's Community Church, Novi Lane on 9 August at 7.30pm, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the death of Frank Hammersley - the final soldier from Leek to fall in combat during World War II.

Set during the 20 years leading up to the final days of World War II, the play gives voice to a young man who died aged just 20, days before the Japanese surrender. His name, etched into the Nicholson War Memorial in Leek - now in its centenary year - becomes a lens through which the whole community's sacrifice is honoured.

Written and directed by Leek playwright Martha Callaghan, the drama was inspired by Councillor Bill Cawley, Cabinet Member for Communities at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. He envisioned a tribute to the 535 men from Leek who lost their lives in both world wars, as part of the memorial centenary celebrations. Frank Hammersley stands as an `Everyman` - a symbol of duty, resilience, and the silent cost of war on families and towns like Leek.

"This is not just Frank's story," said Martha Callaghan. "It's the story of thousands. Of fathers and sons, of towns burdened by war, of loss and love passed between generations. It's also a love-letter to the town, and a nod to the monument as a founding stone to the culture of contemporary Leek."

The production traces the connection between young Frank and his father, also named Frank, a survivor of WWI who fought at Mons in 1914 and spent four harrowing years in a German POW camp. From the post-war hardships of the 1930s to the battlefields of Burma, A True British Soldier is a poignant journey through generational trauma, perseverance, and the cost of forgotten sacrifice.

Music plays a central role. Frank Hammersley, known as a pub singer in his short life, is remembered through a rich soundtrack of period songs woven into the performance.

"Above all it is an opportunity to mark the courage and commitment to hardship and struggle which communities like Haregate in the town and elsewhere in the Moorlands contributed to victory against tyranny around the world," said Councillor Cawley.

The play has been funded from grants made available by the district council and Leek Town Council. It is sponsored by F Ball of Cheddleton.

Tickets are limited and available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-hammersley-project

Published 23 July 2025