Veteran wins his three-year battle to restore war memorial ready to mark VE Day

THERE WAS A DISPUTE OVER WHO OWNED IT

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

A MILITARY veteran who was “absolutely disgusted” at the state of his local war memorial is now celebrating after it was restored in time for VE Day following a three-year battle.

Campaigners have been locked in a dispute with church authorities over who owns the memorial and who has the right to clean it.

The memorial was erected in 1921 in the grounds of St Nicholas’ Church in Tuxford. Norman Birkett, 83, had wanted the memorial restored in time for the D-Day anniversary last year. But that deadline came and went with little progress being made as campaigners tried in vain to obtain permission to clean up the memorial.

With the 80th anniversary of VE Day now approaching, the memorial has finally been restored and locals say the difference is “unbelievable”.

The memorial features 22 names of men who died in the First Second World Wars, with the latter group including a Canadian airman who died in Nottinghamshire after a crash. Many of these names were previously described as “illegible”, but a full clean and restoration by qualified stonemasons means the names are now clear for all to see.