THE names of 228 men killed in the Second World War have been added to a war memorial thanks to the hard work and dogged determination of a campaigner.

Catherine Loveday, 77, of Lullington Garth, Woodside Park, has spent countless hours researching the names of the soldiers, all from Hendon, who were killed in action.

After two years of tireless fundraising, she managed to raise £5,500 to have the names engraved on a plaque, which was added to the Hendon War Memorial in Watford Way last week.

Mrs Loveday, who started her research in Hendon after having success in campaigns to have names inscribed on war memorials in East Barnet and New Barnet, said the money was raised through public donations and collections in supermarkets.

She said: “I have had a lot of backing, and the borough has been very supportive in this venture. When I first started in East Barnet, that was very hard to get off the ground, because it was difficult for the borough to realise what I wanted to do.

“Up until now, these names have not appeared or been read out. They have been forgotten till now. It took a lot of research, it took me years to find out who belonged on the war memorial.

“Now is the time to remember and commemorate these people, and to honour them for the huge sacrifice they made.”

A special service to unveil the plaque will take place later this month, which will include pupils from Hendon School reading out the names of the men.

Mrs Loveday added: “Hendon was very involved in the war, there were bombs all over, as well as the rest of Greater London. These men were volunteers, they gave up their homes and professions to fight. At that time, so many regular soldiers had been killed.

“It is important to remember them. In an urban sprawl like Barnet, to find all the names was hard. It is years of work, but for me, it is so important because all these guys have left is their names. When you have a war, it is the list of names that makes the war memorial.”

“It emphasises the enormity of those losses, and it is important for their relatives to pay their respects and say goodbye.”

The campaigner’s interest in war memorials stems from having lost her father, Stanley Chapman, in the Second World War.

She said when she was growing up in East Barnet she was confused about why her father did not have his name on the war memorial.

When his name was eventually added in 1995, she realised there must be many more that needed to be added.

After retiring in 2004, she began to research the names of other men across Barnet who were killed in the war.

Mrs Loveday now has her sights set on honouring soldiers from Finchley and Edgware she has also found during her research.

The unveiling ceremony takes place on Sunday, September 20 at the Hendon War Memorial in Watford Way, and starts at 3pm.

People are advised to be in place by 2.45pm.