REGARDING your front page of The Exmouth Journal last week– ‘Let’s Honour our War Heroes’.

Trooper Jack Sadler’s name was engraved on the War Memorial in May 2008 and the service and unveiling was attended by an unknown friend, along with seven friends of the second hero from the Borneo campaign, Lieutenant G Rolls RM. Also attending were Bernard Greenaway and I, representing the Exmouth War Memorial Fund, and members of the public. The service was conducted by the Reverend Tony Oswin.

The press had already reported that the name of Stephen ‘Whisky’ Walker would be engraved (May 2010) once time for his family to grieve had passed and the work in The Strand allowed.

We also stated the same protocol for Kinniki Griffiths in August this year.

Arrangements for the two names to be engraved have already been agreed with the stonemasons, Orchard Memorials, and a cost agreed - �345, not �500, as supposed by Mr May RBL.

We are waiting for a firm date for the work to be carried out. This is in the hands of The Strand development foreman and, once he and Mr Orchard can be assured of a date, the work will be carried out, taking approximately 24 to 36 hours.

The Royal British Legion offered to finance the work, to which we agreed. All work on the Strand Memorial has been financed by the Exmouth War Memorial Fund since 2003 at a cost of nearly �9,000, so it was very generous of the RBL to agree to finance the work this time.

We continue to oversee the work as the elected group and will always ensure our war dead are forever remembered, once their families have had time to grieve and with their permission.

It was necessary to write this, due to the many misconstrued rumours that are floating about.

Within the next few days, both of our heroes’ names will be honoured, as planned.

Lionel R Howell,

For Exmouth War

Memorial Fund.