Memorial garden offers 'ringside' seat for veterans

The Dursley and Cam branch of the Royal British Legion helped fundraise for the new memorial

A war memorial garden, built to give veterans "ringside seats" during services to honour the fallen, has been completed in time for this year's Remembrance events.

The new memorial in Dursley features a plaque with the names of 44 soldiers who died in World War One and World War Two.

The Dursley and Cam branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) helped the community raise £3,800 for the garden, which also has benches for people to be able to "sit and reflect".

"People have been amazingly generous and it really belongs to the whole of Dursley town, so everyone can go there now and have a quiet moment," said RBL secretary, Julie Campbell.

Ms Campbell said veterans had struggled to find somewhere to sit during services held last Remembrance Sunday.

"They are really proud men and they don't want to be shown as infirm in public, so we want to give them the dignity they deserve; so they're going to be happy," she said.

"They're going to have ringside seats now."

Two members of the US Air Force, James Spear and Carroll Bryan, who were killed when their Mosquito crashed near Dursley in 1944, will be commemorated in the garden.

"They came here to do their duty and they were our allies and sadly lost their lives as far, far too many young men did," said Ms Campbell.

"We will be adding two little plaques on the memorial to remember them as well," she added.

The garden, which has been supported by Dursley Town Council, will be dedicated at 12:00 BST on Saturday.

The ceremony at Dursley War Memorial Recreation Ground will be attended by The Royal Navy, Army and RAF cadets, members of the community and descendants of the fallen.