In April 2023 a British Army Memorial Park is going to be unveiled in Gorazde, Bosnia-Herzegovina to honour the service of all the British Army personnel who served there in the Bosnian Civil War between 1994 and 1995. The purpose of that deployment was to protect the innocent civilians of that town from the threat of  genocide. 

The new memorial park will not only honour those who served there; it will also specifically commemorate the 6 British soldiers from The Special Air Service (SAS), The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (DWR), and The Royal Gloucester, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (RGBW) who were killed in Gorazde. At the same time, we, the veterans of the DWR who served in Bosnia, are also raising funds for the local school in Gorazde. Private Shaun Taylor from our Regiment died in the hills above Gorazde to ensure that the civilians of the town, including their children who are now at the school, all had a chance to live, learn and prosper in safety. 

Our intent is to raise enough funds to pay not only for the DWR share of the memorial costs, but also to refurbish and dedicate a classroom at the school in Shaun’s name and memory. The children of the school will also be directly responsible for maintaining the memorial to the fallen on the 3 Regimental Days of the units that suffered fatalities there. The project is called “Honour & Inspire 2022” and is being organised by a UK registered charity called GCF Bosnia (www.gcfbosnia.org), which is run by a former RGBW officer who is leading this joint project. Our fellow veterans from the RGBW and SAS are supporting the fundraising campaign through their own channels.

We would be deeply grateful if you could contribute to this project, and perhaps share the link with your friends, family and colleagues. Thank you for your generosity in advance and helping provide a fitting memorial to the past, and a chance for others less fortunate than ourselves to enjoy a better future.

I served in Bosnia with the DWR in 1994 and I am joining GCF Bosnia's cycle ride from Sarajevo to Gorazde (100km/1200m climb) on 28 April 2023 and will arrive for the unveiling of the Memorial on 29 April 2023.