As part of local history day on Saturday October 6, there will be a talk by local historian Roy Peacock on the life of Second Lieutenant Edward Felix Baxter who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallant actions on the battlefield during World War One.

Baxter was born in Oldswinford, Stourbridge and was first enlisted at the outbreak of war in the Royal Engineers before joining the 1/8th Territorial Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. He died on Tuesday April 18 1916 at the age of 30 and was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously. King George V presented the award months later to his widow at Buckingham Palace.

During Roy’s talk people can find out more about why the brave soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of his country’s freedom was awarded the highest military honour. In addition to the talk, the centre will also be holding a free exhibition from Tuesday October 2 to Saturday December 22.

The ‘Their Today for our Tomorrow’ exhibition will commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War One by exploring the contributions of local people to the war effort. It will look at the lives of individuals who had a connection to Dudley borough and either served in the armed forces or were nurses at the time.  The exhibition runs from October 2 to December 22. Councillor Cathy Bayton, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said:

"As this poignant anniversary draws nearer, it’s important we take time to remember and give thanks to all the men and women who supported the war effort to protect our country’s freedom for future generations.

"The archives and local history centre holds a wealth of information from this period and I’m really pleased that local people have the opportunity to come along and see for themselves.”