Gosport Second World War memorial is moved off the high street by the Post Office

For decades, the Post Office in Gosport High Street has been home to a war memorial to staff members from the General Post Office who fought to protect their country.

But following a recent move from 51-52 High Street to 132 High Street, the war memorial has been taken out of the centre and put inside the delivery office in Mill Road.

One Post Office user, pensioner June Hughes from Peel Common, says the memorial should have been kept in the shop.

For her it holds sentimental value as her uncle, Victor Nash, is one of those named on the monument.

She said: ‘I want in last week – in the old shop the memorial was up on the wall, but now it’s nowhere to be seen.

‘Every time the Post Office has moved along the high street, the memorial has always gone with it.

‘It’s always been displayed and it doesn’t feel right in there now that it’s gone.’

Victor Nash served as a sapper for the Royal Engineers in the war, helping maintain transport and communications for forces on the front line.

‘I don’t think it’s right at all,’ June said.

‘When I came into the Post Office it was a way to remember my family and others who served in the war.’

June says it would ‘mean everything’ to her if the memorial was put back up in the high street.

According to the Post Office, the Postmaster, Post Office and Royal Mail worked together to identify the most appropriate place to relocate the memorial so that members of the public could continue to pay their respects to those of our colleagues who sacrificed their lives.

A spokeswoman for the Post Office said: ‘It is now standard for a Post Office war memorial to move to public display in Royal Mail premises when a Post Office branch moves.

‘During consultation for the relocation of Gosport Post Office we announced the plans for the war memorial to move.’