Youngster George Taylor helps honour brave Victoria Cross heroes
George Taylor, 12, who is
monitoring the war graves of VC heroes. Picture: Mike Gunnill
While most 12-year-old boys are playing football with their
friends or glued to computer screens, George Taylor is wandering
around graveyards across Kent.
But it’s not some ghoulish hobby.
The Northfleet schoolboy has become the youngest recruit
appointed by the Victoria Cross Trust to track down, record and
monitor the graves belonging to Britain’s greatest war heroes.
The role was given to George, who lives in Coldharbour Road with
his parents and sister, as part of the charity’s campaign to repair
and preserve the burial plots of those awarded the most
distinguished military honour.
Many of the graves have fallen into neglect because relatives
are either unable to maintain them or are unaware they even
exist.
The VC Trust now wants such graves to be given the same status
as listed buildings.
The Victoria Cross is the highest award for gallantry that a
British and Commonwealth serviceman can achieve and was created in
1856 during the Crimean War.
There are 29 Victoria Cross holders buried across the county,
and George spends as much spare time as possible visiting each of
them, giving priority to those in the poorest condition.
“The role involves me going and finding the graves, assessing
their condition, taking a photo and then sending that to the VC
Trust,” explained the Northfleet Technology College pupil.
“I find out the details of the person, such as when he was born
and died.
"The trust will then see if they can get in touch with any of
their families to see what can be done to keep them in a good
state.
George and David are particularly keen to trace any surviving
relatives of Victoria Cross hero Lt Col Arthur Drummond Borton.
The soldier died in 1933 and is buried in a cemetery in Hunton,
near Maidstone.
“We know he was part of the London Regiment and involved in a
lot of conflicts,” said David. “
David can be contacted on 07951 952424.
“If the families can’t help, the VC Trust then asks if it’s OK
for them to keep them clean on their behalf.
“If they can’t find the family the trust will get in touch with
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.”
The schoolboy’s interest in VC holders came about at the age of
eight when he saw a story on television about a war veteran who was
having to sell his medals to pay heating bills.
He then saw a picture posted on Twitter by the Royal British
Legion of a VC holder’s grave in a poor state and became involved
in fundraising.
“I was saying it shouldn’t be this way because the person had
laid his life on the line for the country,” explained George.
“The VC Trust saw what I had said and got in touch and asked
whether I wanted to be their Kent area officer.”
George, whose grandfather served with the Coldstream Guards, is
also a member of the air cadets but hopes to be a policeman in the
armed response unit.
His schoolfriends think his important role is “cool”, and the
youngster also has the full support of dad David, 40, and mum
Cheryl, 39, who accompany him on his visits.
“We visit the graves in Kent whenever we have any spare time. My
dad drives and mum is the PA – and makes the tea,” joked
George.
22/11/12
- Click here for more news from across the county...