Remembrance Exhibition Opens at St. Michael and All Angels
Displays tell the stories of local lives lost in the First World War
Capt Wright VC by George Derville Rowlandson. Picture: St. Michael and All Angels
November 5, 2026
A new Remembrance Exhibition has opened at St Michael & All Angels Church in Bedford Park, focusing on local servicemen who died during some of the bloodiest battles of the First World War and the artists whose families were touched by the conflict.
The free exhibition explores the events of 1916, including the Battle of the Somme, and tells the stories of men commemorated on the church's war memorials. Visitors can also learn about several notable Bedford Park artists whose sons served during the war, highlighting the personal impact of the conflict on the local community. The exhibition is open daily from 9am until Armistice Day on 11 November and welcomes visitors including school groups and local history societies.
The exhibition forms part of the church's long-running First World War research project, launched in 2014 with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Since then, volunteers have researched the lives of the 128 people named on the church's war memorials, creating a substantial archive of local wartime history.
Among those featured is artist James Clark, whose painting The Great Sacrifice became one of the most widely recognised images of the war. His youngest son, Cosmo Clark, volunteered for service aged 17, served with the Artists' Rifles, was awarded the Military Cross and was wounded at the Somme in 1916. His wartime letters and sketches later formed the basis of the play Cosmo's War, which was performed at the church in 2022.
The Great Sacrifice, stained glass window, by James Clark. Picture: St. Michael and All Angels
Other artists highlighted include Cecil Aldin, renowned for his illustrations and animal paintings. Although too old for active military service himself, Aldin's son, Cecil Aldin, was killed in action in May 1916 and is remembered both on the church memorials and within the exhibition. George Derville Rowlandson, one of Britain's first official war artists, is also featured. His son, Private George Rowlandson, was killed during the Battle of Ypres in 1918.
This year's exhibition also pays tribute to David Beresford, the retired doctor and church archivist who led much of the World War One research project before his death in 2022. Twenty illustrated panels created by him are on display, including eight dedicated to local men killed at the Somme.
The Dugout by Cosmo Clark
One panel tells the story of Alexander Robinson, the son of a churchwarden and a former church server, who lost his life during the war. His memory is preserved in the church through a plaque on the Bishop's chair donated by his father.
Remembrance Sunday commemorations will take place at the church on 8 November. A Choral Requiem Mass will begin at 9.55am, after which clergy and congregation will process to the Bedford Park Memorial Seat outside the Parish Hall. The Act of Remembrance will include the Last Post, wreath laying and a two-minute silence at 11am. The church will be decorated with hundreds of poppies made from knitwork, silk, paper and ceramics.
Organisers say the exhibition aims to keep alive the stories of those whose lives were affected by war and to illustrate the impact that global events had on families in a residential corner of Chiswick more than a century ago.
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