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Kings Langley War Hero Honoured
A KINGS Langley War hero has been given a fitting tribute at a special ceremony in France today (Saturday).
A memorial honouring the deeds of Private Christopher Cox during the First World War was unveiled in front of more than 200 people at a site near the village of Achiet-le-Grand in Northern France.
The ceremony took place against the back drop of the battlefield where on March 15 1917 Pte Cox, a stretcher-bearer with the 7th Bedfordshire Regiment, fearlessly rescued dozens of his comrades while bullets and shells exploded around him.
For his bravery on that day Pte Cox was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honour for valour in battle.
To mark the 90th anniversary of his bravery and the liberation of the village of Achiet-le-Grand from the Germans a special memorial built from Bedfordshire bricks was unveiled in front of members of Pt Cox's family, representatives of Kings Langley Parish Council, a company of soldiers from the Royal Anglian Regiment and crowds of locals.
Pt Cox's son, Ian, 79, said it had been an emotional day.
He said: "It was very, very emotional. I never ever dreamt something like this would happen and there would be so many people here.
"According to the builders that memorial will last for hundreds of years and they specifically brought the Bedfordshire bricks over. It isn't just for my father it's for all the chaps who served and those that never came back home again."
Kings Langley Parish Councillor Gerry Angiolini added that it was a fitting tribute to the memory of Christopher Cox and the sacrifice of the British forces in the First World War.
He said: " I think it was an absolute magnificent ceremony and the French should be congratulated for putting on such a wonderful thing and for creating such a wonderful memorial for a son of Kings Langley."
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South
