Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
A rather unedifying story from the Burton Mail - http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/Fury-va...n-war-hero/story-27472961-detail/story.html#1 .
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Tonight, we measured up for a monument to be constructed in the town. It is planned to be in place in September, 100 years after the events.I spent over a year arguing with Eric Pickles about a WW1 VC. Initially, the plan was to commemorate all UK VC awards from WW1 by installing a paving slab in their home town. This even led to a person from Leicester being excluded because he had actually been born in Canada. Obviously, it meant that all the Indians awarded the VC were also intended to be excluded. I pointed out to Mr Pickles that those from Ireland were actually UK citizens at the time, although they would not be covered by the initial plan to commemorate the awards. My point was ignored consistently, but I mentioned it to David Cameron and Enda Kenny - eventually, without any response at all from Mr Pickles, an agreement was reached where slabs would be provided to the Republic for those from there who awarded the VC. Slabs for those VCs awarded in 1914 and 1915 have been installed already.
I used to take my uncle to see a friend of his who had "some medals from the Great War" - as lots of people did, of course - I didn't realise, at the time, that one of these medals had a purple ribbon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Moyney
My plan, had they continued with their ridiculous determination to exclude him, was to copy a slab, alter the name and install it with the help of a local County Councillor who had been primed about the circumstances.
I look forward to his slab being officially installed in 2017.