92-year-old veteran helps unveil village's new war memorial

Donald Hector was proud to unveil the great stone memorial in Buckland St Mary last week, alongside local artist Simon Hitchens and the chairman of the parish council, Steve Albon.

Mr Hector’s uncle, William Hector, can also be found on the church’s memorial board after being killed at Arras in 1917.

The sculpture is a large piece of black granite, with one side almost fully polished save for a circle.

It also carries the words ‘at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them’.

Donald said: “I am impressed with the sculpture. It was expertly done by Simon.

“It means a lot to me because I call the names out every year at the Buckland St Mary Church and have done for years.

“It does mean a lot and I think the fact that the children were involved too is most important.”

As well as having the sculpture placed on school grounds, Buckland St Mary Primary also worked on making clay poppies which have been put on display around the village.

Rachael Orton, headteacher, said: “We were inspired by the clay poppies outside the Tower of London.

“We worked with Holyrood Academy and have been going since July.

The poppies project was spearheaded by local artist June Dobson and a school parent, Rosie Thompson.

Rosie said: “Every child made a poppy and painted them and they are being displayed throughout the village.

“Thanks must go to June, and to the head of art at Holyrood, Catherine Cumberland, who let us use the kiln.”

Children also drafted letters thanking First World War soldiers for their service and designed commemorative mugs.

The memorial is a human sized slab of polished black marble, and the inflective circle means that people’s faces will not be shown back at them.

This, artist Simon Hitchens said, was to make people think of the people who died in war who are absent today.

The circle also symbolises the sun, and matches the engraved words ‘at the going down of the sun’.