VOLUNTEERS from the Victoria Cross Trust, who are based at Ashworth Barracks in Doncaster, were in Crediton cleaning the Buller Family Memorial in the north east corner of the churchyard at Crediton Parish Church, on Wednesday, July 20.

Buried in the family memorial plot is General Sir Redvers Buller VC who died in June 1908. He was the recipient of the Victoria Cross in 1879 in the Zulu Wars.

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration for gallantry and valour in the face of the enemy awarded to British and Commonwealth servicemen.

The Victoria Cross Trust is a charitable organisation that works to ensure the memory and graves of every Victoria Cross recipient are remembered and maintained for generations to come.

Gary Stapleton, the UK branch chairman, said that the restoration included high temperature, at low pressure, to clean the stonework, thereby causing no damage.

He said that all the volunteers were ex-servicemen and he said he and his team were cleaning and restoring five VC memorials, including Crediton, during their week-long visit.

He continued: “Whilst we have been here quite a few people have come to see us to ask who the memorial remembers.

“General Sir Redvers Buller was probably one of Crediton’s most famous residents and this memorial is a reason why a number of people come to the town, just to see it and the memorial inside the church.

“They also obviously visit the statue in Exeter, which normally has a traffic cone on General Buller’s head!”

Mr Stapleton said that at the very heart of everything the Trust does is respect for the servicemen awarded the Victoria Cross and the wishes of their families.

He added that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) only takes responsibility for graves of Victoria Cross recipients killed in action during World War One and Two, adding that many more VCs were laid to rest without civic recognition and without continued maintenance to their graves.

The Trust works with families and relatives of those brave men whose graves fall outside the remit of the CWGC, to provide the same level of care and maintenance to their graves.

Amongst many other activities the Victoria Cross Trust maintains a museum at Ashworth Barracks in Doncaster.

It relies on donations to continue its work and further details about how to donate and the work of the Trust can be seen at: victoriacrosstrust.org .

Alan Quick