The name of a distinguished soldier from Runfold who died in The First World War could get a special place on a village memorial after a 107-year wait.

Lt Col Dudley R Turnbull of the Gordon Highlanders was killed in action in Belgium on October 1, 1917.

But while a memorial in the local church carries his name, for reasons unknown it was never added to the Seale & Sands war memorial.

“There was a conversation on a Remembrance Sunday with an enthusiastic member of the congregation,” said Ret Col Malcolm Grant Haworth CBE, president of the Seale and Sands branch of the Royal British Legion.

“He pointed out there is a memorial within the church to Turnbull, but no mention on the war memorial. So I set to work.”

The timing was perfect as Seale & Sands Parish Council needed to repair the memorial wall with the application being approved along with a secondary request to set Dudley’s name in stone.

Cllr Jason Butcher said a new Nabresina stone panel with Dudley’s inscribed name will be installed on the rear face of the memorial as there is not enough room elsewhere.

Born in Farnham in 1891, Turnbull and his parents lived in Whiteways and he was educated at Wellington College before joining the Gordon Highlanders and being awarded the DSO.

He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and took command of the 20th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment before his death and being buried in Buttes New British Cemetery at Polygon Wood.

His parents Charles and Evelyn held a remembrance service in St Laurence’s church and commissioned the memorial before later moving to Torquay.

“The names of those killed in both world wars are read out each year at the War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday,” added Mr Haworth.

“This list now embraces Dudley Turnbull.”