The A L Lewis VC Memorial Fund is working with the support of Herefordshire County Council to honour a brave local hero, Allan Leonard Lewis. They are commissioning a life-size bronze statue of him to stand in a prominent position in Hereford in the Old Market Shopping development.

Allan Leonard Lewis was born in 1895 in Whitney-on-Wye in West Herefordshire. His father worked as a carpenter and Allan was one of nine children. They later moved to the neighbouring parish of Brilley where the family remained until the death of his parents.

This humble, brave young man performed extraordinary acts of heroism during the First World War leading to the award of the Victoria Cross. To date, Allan Lewis remains the only person born in Herefordshire to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

Lance Corporal Lewis took part in the final allied push to break the German Hindenburg Line in late 1918. He showed exceptional bravery on two occasions during these final battles. Both occasions were witnessed by others and showed his quiet confidence, spirit, determination and bravery under fire. He was killed on the September 21st 1918, aged 23, a few weeks before the war’s end.

The Victoria Cross was presented to his parents by HM King George V at Buckingham Palace in April 1919.

The artist creating the commemorative statue is Jemma Pearson, who sculpted the wonderful statue of Elgar which stands in the Hereford Cathedral grounds. To enable this project to be completed in time for the centenary of Allan’s sacrifice, they need to raise £60,000. Currently, they have raised just over £9,000.

Jemma told the Ross Gazette: “I am delighted to create a tribute to Allan especially as the design of the statue has the simplicity to be representative of so very many Tommies who never returned from the trenches.”

“The more I researched the sheer numbers and dire circumstances in the Great War (on both sides) - it’s difficult to really take on board exactly how much we owe them.”

So far Jemma has worked on some projected drawings of the statue but will make a three dimensional small model of him, which will be scaled up to the full sized clay figure before it is then cast into bronze – if the fundraising target is reached.

To donate to the Allan Leonard Lewis Statue, visit: www.justgiving.com/lewisvcmemorial