VC hero among latest honoured in Sunderland's Veterans' Walk

A young Victoria Cross hero who sacrificed his life in a bid to save countless Wearsiders is amongst the latest to be honoured on the walkway, which is the first of its kind in the UK.

Since its inception in 2016, the Veterans' Walk in Mowbray Park has become a moving tribute to past and present Forces Personnel as the pathway weaves its way around the Brothers In Arms memorial wall in the shadow of the Cenotaph.

There are now nearly 1,200 granite stones in the walkway, each inscribed with the name, years of service and regimental badge of members of the Army, RAF, Royal Navy and Merchant Navy from Sunderland, as well as from places around the world in Australia, Canada and Germany.

Now, the latest stones have been unveiled which are laid in phases to minimise disruption to the park, followed by a reception at The Gunners Club in Mary Street.

The 60 new stones include a tribute to Second World War RAF pilot Cyril Barton, paid for by an anonymous donor.

Military standard bearers, a piper and the Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Dorothy Trueman, were in attendance to help lead the dedication.

Pilot Cyril Barton is one of the few to have ever been honoured with the military’s highest award, the Victoria Cross, after his bravery during WWII.

His stone is the only one so far in the walkway to bear the prestigious Victoria Cross.

The other stones laid in the latest instalment all honour moving stories.

They include Keith Burnett from Washington, who served in the Army's RTC from 1970 to 1984.

His family, including daughters Katrina Peverley, Karen Burnett and son Keith Burnett, bought him a stone for his 70th birthday earlier this year.

The family had always intended to attend the unveiling ceremony, however, when Keith's wife of nearly 50 years, Dorna, passed away suddenly in July, aged 69, whilst attending a family wedding in Belfast, the stone now has even more meaning.

Some of Dorna's ashes have been buried beneath Keith's stone. As well as being a place where the family can honour the great grandmother, it also honours the pivotal role partners of Forces Personnel play in supporting the military.

Katrina said: "It's been an emotional day. Mum was a great support for dad in the military, moving with him to Aldershot and Germany and raising us.

"Dad is from Southwick originally and they moved back to Wearside after dad left the army, she loved Sunderland. So it's very special to have half her ashes in Belfast and some here."

As well as being a place to honour Keith's service, it's now a place where his and Dorna's three children, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren can remember her.

The Veterans' Walk is run by the family of Private Nathan Cuthbertson who was killed in Afghanistan in 2008.

Nathan's father Tom is a former paratrooper and the project is also supported by local businessman Rob Deverson.

The walk is a tribute rather than a memorial, as it recognises veterans who are still with us as well as those who may have passed.

Sunderland has one of the largest veteran communities in the UK and does much to honour its military links, including the largest Remembrance Day parade outside of London.

VC Hero Cyril Barton

The 22-year-old, from Suffolk, who was a talented flying officer in RAF Bomber Command, died from his wounds after crash-landing his Halifax bomber in a Ryhope field, avoiding houses and pit-head workings, following an overnight air raid on Germany in March 1944.

The aircraft went down as it returned from a raid on Nuremberg, Germany, after running out of fuel due to heavy damage sustained on the mission. The selfless pilot, who’d managed to complete his bomber mission, steered the aircraft away from civilian areas as much as possible.

The other three remaining crew members survived. However, George Head, a Ryhope miner, was killed when he was struck by debris.

Cyril was posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery on the Nuremburg mission and his attempts to avoid the houses of Ryhope during the crash landing.

Other tributes to him in the city include a mural in Ryhope as well as new housing development called Barton Meadows.

The brave pilot’s Victoria Cross is on display at the Royal Air Force Museum in London.

How to purchase a Veterans' Walk stone

Veterans' Walk stones can be purchased at www.nationalveteranswalk.co.uk

The project also supports a number of charities including Veterans in Crisis, SSAFA, Sunderland Armed Forces Network, Brothers in Arms and The Not Forgotten.