AN INTERESTING discovery has been made in the preparation of Odiham’s Armistice celebrations.

The name ‘Tommy’, which was commonly used to refer to British soldiers in the First World War, was found to originate from a soldier who came from Odiham.

The name ‘Thomas Atkins’ originally appeared in the Soldier’s Book, which was each soldier’s personal record of service, on the example page describing how it should be completed. It showed Thomas Atkins and listed the parish of Odiham as an example place of birth.

Thomas Atkins, of Odiham, was the soldier servant of Lieutenant General Sir Harry Calvert GCB, who was Adjutant General at the time when his department framed the book’s order.

Former chair of the Odiham Society John Champion found that nearly 100 years ago attempts were made to provide a lasting monument in the parish, but the council voted for a ‘simple’ memorial at the time.

Since, the idea of a peace garden, has been agreed. A patch of land under parish council control at Chapel Pond on the Odiham/North Warnborough boundary has been set aside for the community peace garden which is hoped to be completed before the First World War centenary.

The area will include historical information boards, a Poppy Garden installation, attractive planting, trees and benches.

Chair of Odiham Parish Council, Councillor Jon Hale, said: “Odiham has had extensive plans in place to mark this significant centenary event for some time.

“However given the revelation that our Parish is the home of the British Tommy and with the knowledge recently provided by Mr Champion that the Parish Council has the opportunity to deliver on the idea put forward by Miss Chamberlain in 1919, the Peace Garden seems an extremely fitting tribute to the occasion.

“We now have an extraordinary amount of work ahead of us to deliver this idea in time, but with the help of Hart District Council, are committed to doing so.”