Henry Lysons VC - Grave cleaned in Rodmarton

Doncaster XP Students Produce Art for VCT

AFCF Project - Maintaining the Memories Finishes on a High - Walter Parker VC

George Wyatt VC - Rededication by Current South Yorkshire Police Colleagues

Positive Pathways - Armed Force Covenant & The VCT

The Trust at Lakeside Doncaster

Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson

St Peters Church Frimley

Thomas Wilkinson VC

The Victoria Cross Trust has recently inspected the grave of Thomas Wilkinson VC, who became a Bombardier in the Royal Marine Artillery, just prior to the outbreak of the Crimean War. On 7th June 1855, he was under constant heavy fire at Sebastopol but continued to place sandbags on the batteries to replace the damaged bags.

He was one of the first 62 men to be decorated with the Victoria Cross medal at Hyde Park by Queen Victoria later that year. After his military career he returned to his home town of York where he became the manager of Rymer’s Sand Yard. Thomas Wilkinson VC is laid to rest in a very large but peaceful cemetery near the centre of York. His headstone would benefit from some restoration and the VCT are hoping to clean his grave in the near future.

Martin Leake VC

During the Boer War in 1902, Surgeon-Captain Martin Leake rescued a wounded man whose lay a mere 100 yards from the enemy line at Vlakfontien. He returned to rescue another officer, he was shot three times. Eventually, eight wounded men were brought in and Martin-Leake refused water until all the others were served. For his valour, he received the Victoria Cross.

In the First War, serving as a Lieutenant near Zonnebeke in Belgium, he rescued many men, all lying close to the enemy’s trenches, all the time under constant fire. For this he was awarded a clasp for conspicuous bravery (now known as a ‘bar’ which indicates a second Victoria Cross.) Martin-Leake survived the War.

This week, a team from the Trust gave the Martin-Leake family plot a thorough clean. It was an honour to work on the grave of one of only three double VCs.