Memorial bid for VC hero

Grenadier Guard Wilfred Dolby Fuller was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1915 for single-handedly preventing the escape of around 50 German troops from the trenches.

But the lance-corporal, who grew up in Mansfield and worked in the local mining industry before the First World War, was medically discharged in 1916 and spent a period begging for work before finally becoming a policeman in Somerset.

Now, the Friends of Carr Bank Park have announced plans to unveil a memorial to the former soldier on the site at a ceremony in November.

The service is expected to coincide with official Armistice Day commemorations on November 11th, and it is hoped that the memorial will be placed close to the park’s existing war memorials.

Coun Christine Smith, from the Friends of Carr Bank Park, said: “We hope that the memorial will be unveiled on 11th November as part of our annual commemorations.

“It is surprising that there hasn’t been a memorial to Wilfred Dolby Fuller before, as Carr Bank Park was created after the First World War as a place of peace and tranquillity for the people of Mansfield. But I suppose in the years after the Great War, people were concentrating more on getting the country back on its feet.

“Even though the names of all the men from Mansfield who died are not listed on the official memorials, I hope that by having his name there he will be representative of all the men from the town who gave their lives.”

It is anticipated that the memorial will consist of a commemorative tree, a white rose and a plaque, and may also include an official Victoria Cross paving stone.

Bill Dixon-Dodds, vice- chairman of the East Midlands branch of the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee, will be advising the group in a voluntary capacity.

It is also hoped that serving members of the Grenadier Guards who originate from the Mansfield area will be sent to represent the regiment at the ceremony.

Wilfred Dolby Fuller was born in Greasley, near Eastwood, in 1893, but moved to Mansfield as a child. He died, aged 54, in 1947 and is buried in the village of Frome, in Somerset.

His VC is displayed at the Grenadier Guard’s Regimental Headquarters, in Chelsea.