September 2025 saw our team return to the Isle of Wight to complete the cleaning of memorials on the Isle of Wight and Bognor Regis, a promise we made in 2024 after a successful project was completed. This year saw us focus on a broad range of military and civilian memorials alongside those of Victoria Cross recipients. We were once again supported by The Veteran Hotel in Ryde and Red Funnel along with other local community groups and organisations including Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Service.
In total 49 memorials were cleaned and restored ranging from small turf stones to huge war memorials. A particular focus was on civilian casualties such as the six Chiverton children and victims from Cowes killed during World War II bombing raids.
Chiverton grave Carisbrooke Mass casualties - Kingston East Cowes
The largest memorial completed was at Ventnor where the team cleaned the war memorial on the Esplanade before moving into the cemetery to effect more military related restorations. A top the war memorial the time spotted a horse shoe set into the concrete, probably from WWI.
Ventnor Before Ventnor After The horseshoe
Two disaster memorials were also attended to including HMS Eurydice at Shanklin and the Trinity House explosion at Kingston East Cowes. Both events saw mass casualties, with HMS Eurydice a Royal Navy Corvette lost in a squall in Shanklin Bay in 1878 with the loss of 317 of its 319 crew.
HMS Eurydice The memorial at Shanklin cemetery
The Trinity House explosion resulted in the loss of seven men attempting to destroy the yacht Azalea that had run aground on the Brambles. Whilst attempting to set charges to blow the ship up an explosion occurred aboard their ship killing seven of the crew. Such was the impact of the disaster that Queen Victoria invited the families of the victims to Osborne House whilst Trinity House who own the lighthouses around the island paid a pension to them.
St Mildred's church at Whippingham saw the family grave of Clement - Smith VC and also Lord Mountbatten that lay side by side, cleaned as well their war memorial.
Clement-Smith VC Mountbatten's Steam cleaning in action V & A Topiary
To commemorate the anniversary of Operation Market Garden in WWII three paras were attended to buried in Carisbrooke.
The Arnhem Boys
A technical glitch lost us a whole day of work in which we would have undoubtedly completed 50 + restorations. However, 49 isn't a bad Total considering the amount of work we were able to complete. On our return home we called off at Bognor Regis where we cleaned the grave of Sir Christopher Charles Teesdale VC and four other notable memorials, bringing our tally to 49 restored over 4 days.
Sir Christopher Charles Teesdale VC's gazette reads:
For gallant conduct, in having, while acting as Aide-de-Camp to Major-General Sir William Fenwick Williams, Bart., K.C.B., at Kars, volunteered to take command of the force engaged in the defence of the most advanced part of the works,–the key of the position–against the attack of the Russian Army; when, by throwing himself into the midst of the enemy, who had penetrated into the above redoubt, he encouraged the Garrison to make an attack, so vigorous, as to drive out the Russians therefrom, and prevent its capture; also for having, during the hottest part of the action, when the enemy’s fire had driven the Turkish Artillerymen from their guns, rallied the latter, and by his intrepid example induced them to return to their post; and further, after having led the final charge which completed the victory of the day, for having, at the greatest personal risk, saved from the fury of the Turks, a considerable number of the disabled among the enemy, who were lying wounded outside the works,–an action witnessed, and acknowledged gratefully before the Russian Staff, by General Mouravieff.
Work completed and ready to return in 2026. Checkout the gallery images for the full range of work and restorations.
