Royal British Legion 'saddened' by vandalised Tirah memorial

The Tirah Memorial in Bonn Square was spray-painted last week, with the word ’thives’ [sic] scrawled and the inscription defaced on.

The vandalism has since been cleared, however the remains of the spray paint can still be seen. 

The RBL, the country’s largest Armed Forces charity that provides lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families, said war memorials and graves 'deserve to be treated with the utmost respect'.

“The Royal British Legion is saddened to hear of the damage to a local war memorial in Bonn Square in Oxford," said an RBL spokesperson.

"War memorials and graves honour the memory of every member of the Armed Forces who has made the ultimate sacrifice and deserve to be treated with the utmost respect.”

The remnants of the spray-paint can still be seen (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: 'Sadness' expressed over vandalism of Oxford war memorial

The RBL works with politicians and officials at all levels to represent the interests of the Armed Forces community.

Duncan Taylor, who reported the crime, said it was "particularly concerning" with it being just a few weeks until Remembrance Day. 

Terry Roper MBE, chairman of the Oxford Branch of The Royal Green Jackets Association, described the vandalism as a "heinous criminal act".

"It was with horror, anger and great sadness that I learnt that the Tirah Memorial proudly sitting on Bonn Square has been desecrated," he told the Oxford Mail.

Terry Roper MBE (Image: Newsquest)

"I would point out to the person or persons that carried out this heinous criminal act have insulted the memory of those whose names are listed on the memorial.

"They are all from the Oxfordshire Regiment at the time and many would still have relatives and connections to our city and county.

"It has caused a lot of distress and anger amongst the veterans I know."

The Tirah Memorial was unveiled in 1900, making it Oxford's first war memorial.

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The monument was erected to commemorate the 64 men of the 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire Light Infantry who died in the 1897 - 98 Tirah Expedition and Punjab Frontier Campaign to suppress rebel tribes on the north-west frontier of British India.

The Tirah Region is what is now north-west Pakistan on the Afghanistan border.

"I do think it's a lack of respect and it is a lack of understanding," Mr Roper said. 

He believes it is a "concern" for other memorials in Oxfordshire and around the country if the issue is not "stamped on". 

"I think it's something that should be dealt with by the courts and dealt with thoroughly by the police," Mr Roper added.