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Forgotten Boer War hero remembered in Saltash

Courtesy of the Symons Family A portrait of Sir William Penn Symons. Sir William is seen wearing a red soldiers tunic. He has a large brown moustache and has been depicted looking off to the right middle distance.Courtesy of the Symons Family
Sir William Penn Symons (pictured) would have been "bemused" by all the "fuss", a descendant said

A ceremony has taken place in Cornwall to mark the 125th anniversary of the death of a forgotten national hero.

The event was held in Saltash and recognised the life of Sir William Penn Symons, who was the highest-ranking soldier to be killed in the Second Boer War.

A memorial was unveiled to him in his hometown of Saltash in 1901 and that ceremony was recreated.

It was the idea of local historian Barry Brooking, who said such a significant and important officer deserved to be commemorated.

A large group of people in both civilian and military rig stand with their backs to the camera. The are stood outside at Victoria Gardens in Saltash. The group faces a large stone war memorial which has poppies laid at the base. An overhanging tree spans across the left of the image in the foreground. The weather is overcast.
Many descendants of the original attendees were invited to the ceremony

He said: "Everyone in the house of commons took off their hat, Winston Churchill gave a very passionate eulogy and it is said that not only parliament but the whole country grieved.

"He was in fact the first officer to be killed in the Boer War."

The conflict was fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics over the empire's influence in southern Africa between 1899 and 1902.

Mr Brooking's father, who was once the mayor of Saltash, would tell him stories about the war and his favourite was always about Sir William.

He said: "Apart from his memorial unveiling, no-one had ever really remembered him.

"When I found it was 125 years on 23 October, the anniversary of his death, I thought we should do something about it."

The ceremony's recreation was held at the Victoria Gardens in Saltash.

Many descendants of the original attendees were invited to go along, including Sir William's great-great-nephew Hugh Symons.

He described the Boer War officer as a "very quiet man".

Mr Symonds said: "He would probably be slightly bemused that so much fuss was being made.

"But I think he would generally be rather pleased."

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