A VISITOR to West Devon was surprised and pleased to find a family memorial at Lydford still well-maintained, almost 90 years after his great uncle died in the first world war. Alex Hunter e-mailed the branch secretary of Okehampton Royal British Legion Peter Williams recently to thank them for their dedication in continuing to honour the memory of his great uncle who is buried in Lydford. Captain Nigel Hunter MC, was killed towards the end of the Great War, on Easter Monday 1918, he was just 23. Mr Hunter said: ?While in Devon recently, I revisited the memorial plaque near Black Rock behind the Dartmoor Inn at Lydford, fearing it may have been removed or vandalized. I was surprised to find someone had taken the trouble to make the trek ? it is not close to the road ? to lay a poppy wreath there. It is one thing to routinely lay a wreath at a village memorial but quite another to make the walk into the moor for a single person?s memorial.? Mr Hunter said his ancestor also wrote poetry and an extract of one of his poems is visible on the plaque today. Mr Hunter added: ?He was quite a family hero and I have the original memorial casting plate as well as some of his letters. The extract of his poem on the plaque is familiar to me. For those who know nothing of him to be prepared to honour his memory touches me and my family and we are really grateful.? Mr Williams passed on the message of thanks to Lydford Parish Council. David Evans, clerk to the council, which undertakes the duty of looking after the memorial, said: ?We decided some years ago that the memorial to Captain Hunter should be looked after in perpetuity by the parish council and the parishioners of this village.? Mr Evans said the council had worked with the DNPA archaeology department in 2000 to re-furbish the plaque. The costs were born by the villagers. At the same time it was considered that when the council places a wreath on its war memorial on Rememberance Sunday, it would remove the previous one, still in good condition, give it a good clean and take it to the memorial plaque for Capt Hunter. Mr Evans said: ?While no religious service is held, it is a very poignant time for all of us. Normally the chair of the parish council reads out the poem written by Capt Hunter.? He added: ?Many other villagers also lay poppies and crosses on his memorial as it means something to those of us who live in Lydford.? The plaque on the bench near Black Rock states that Captain Nigel Duncan Ratcliffe Hunter MC (and bar), of the Royal Engineers, was killed in action near Bapaume on March 25 1918. He loved the moors of Devon and on his last visit he wrote the following lines: ?ARE WE NOT LIKE THIS MOORLAND STREAM SPRINGING NONE KNOWS WHERE FROM, TINKLING, BUBBLING, FLASHING A GLEAM BACK AT THE SUN; E?ER LONG GLOOMY AND DULL, UNDER A CLOUD, THEN RUSHING ONWARDS AGAIN; DASHING AT ROCKS WITH ANGER LOUD, ROARING AND FOAMING IN VAIN! WANDERING THUS FOR MANY A MILE, TWISTING AND TURNING AWAY FOR A WHILE. THEN OF A SUDDEN OVER THE FALL AND THE DARK STILL POOL IS THE END OF ALL. IS IT? I THOUGHT, AS I TURNED AWAY, AND I TURNED AGAIN TO THE SILENT MOOR. IS IT? I SAID, AND MY HEART SAID ?NAY?! AS I GAZED AT THE CROSS ON ?WIDGERY TOR?.
