Catterick Garrison: Veteran unveils WW1 memorial on 100th birthday

David Evans served with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars in World War Two

A veteran has celebrated his 100th birthday by unveiling a memorial at a North Yorkshire military base.

David Evans was the guest of honour at the ceremony at Catterick Garrison which marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One.

Catterick Garrison was opened in 1914 to train the thousands of troops who enlisted after the outbreak of war.

The monument features a life-sized stone steam locomotive which stands on the camp's central roundabout.

It is a reminder of the men who left the camp by rail to fight in the trenches.

The memorial also features three sculptures carved from Wensleydale stone.

Mr Evans said the ceremony had brought back memories of his service with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars in World War Two.

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As a 22-year-old he was one of 350,000 Allied troops rescued from the Belgian beaches at Dunkirk in the summer of 1940.

"I remember everything," he said. "We had a rough old time. I can see those lads now wading out."

The stone statue is on the main roundabout of the military base

Mr Evans unveiled the memorials with the help of a local Scout group, Army cadets and Royal Air Force cadets.

One stone depicts Scout founder Lord Baden-Powell who established the base. The other two stones have images of a World War One soldier and airman.

The camp's commander Lt Col Joe Jordan said it was important to mark the Armistice centenary.

He said: "It is a masterpiece that will live on through generation after generation.

"It is a powerful piece of stonework that will forever stand in memoriam of the fallen throughout both world wars and conflicts since.

"It will not only honour the dead but stand as a mark of our gratitude to all the Armed Forces personnel, both past and present."