A memorial to the sacrifices of the Durham Light Infantry was officially unveiled yesterday in front of veterans, dignitaries and royalty. Gavin Engelbrecht was at the ceremony

THERE is something engaging about the statue.

Standing larger than life with its head bowed slightly, the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) bugler dressed in the combat uniform of the Korean War looks down and demands the attention of passers-by.

Bugle at rest, standing easy and rifle slung over his shoulder, he gives the impression that his job is done.

Indeed, the bronze symbolises a moment in history – when a platoon of 1 DLI buglers sounded the ceasefire in Korea, in 1953, from a hilltop on the frontline.

Korea was the regiment’s last Battle Honour, and fittingly, three veterans of the 1953 bugling party were present at yesterday’s event – Harry Sanson, 81, John Hoare, 80, and Roland Jones, 78.

They were joined by hundreds of veterans of the DLI, one of the world’s most famous military regiments, who gathered under a glorious sky to mark the dedication of the permanent memorial – immortalising the sacrifices of their compatriots over the years.

The emotional event saw the regiment, at last, represented and taking pride of place at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire.

Joining the throng of dignitaries were the Durham Lord Lieutenant Sir Paul Nicholson, honorary Colonel for The Rifles in County Durham, James Ramsbotham, Durham City Mayor Councillor John Wilkinson and his wife, Cynthia, and Durham County Council chairwoman Councillor Linda Marshall and her husband, David.

The guest of honour was Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy, Royal Colonel 3rd Battalion, The Rifles – made Colonel-in-Chief of the DLI on her 21st birthday and later of the Light Infantry into which it was merged, before evolving ultimately into The Rifles.

It was a special day, too, for former regimental signaller Keith Straughier and former bugler Richard Softley, without whom the day would not have happened.

The appeal to raise the £75,000 needed for the memorial was launched last year after the two former DLI soldiers visited the arboretum, home to more than 200 memorials, where they discovered, to their dismay, that the DLI was not represented.

Determined to put that right, they launched a fundraising campaign, which was taken on board by DLI trustees.

In the first two weeks, fundraisers collected more than £25,000, the bulk of it from readers of The Northern Echo and its sister paper, The Durham Times.

Mr Softley said yesterday: “When we started we were thinking along the lines of raising £5,000 not £90,000, which the total has now reached.

“The people of Durham have been incredibly generous.

This has exceeded our every expectation.”

Joining them yesterday was Captain Tony Lynn, who designed the plinth of Portland stone and drew up the first draft sketches of the statue.

It was modelled in clay by sculptor Alan Herriot, in Howgate, near Edinburgh, and was based on a photograph of the then 18-year-old Colour Sergeant Brandon Mulvey, of Chester-le-Street .

DLI trustee Brigadier Robert “Bob” MacGregor- Oakford, who served in Korea, said: “The DLI made a major and almost unique contribution to the defence of its country for more than 200 years.

“DLI soldiers and their families endured huge sacrifices in doing so, with 12,000 losing their lives in the First World War.

“The regiment was awarded 11 Victoria Crosses and was acclaimed wherever it went.”

He added: “It has been a most wonderful day for the regiment. It has taken quite a lot of consideration, consultation and appeasing some people, but it has all turned out remarkably well and lots of people are immensely happy with what they have seen.”

Colonel Arthur Charlton, DLI trustee and appeal coordinator, said: “We are so proud that our regiment is now commemorated at the arboretum.

“Fundraising is now getting under way for a duplicate statue to be erected in Durham City.”