A NATIONAL memorial has been dedicated to recognise the “comradeship, service and sacrifice” of the soldiers who served Dorset and Devon.

The statue was formally dedicated to the infantry soldiers of the Dorset and Devonshire regiments in a service attended by HRH the Duke of Kent, the regiment’s former Colonel in Chief, on Sunday.

The Duke of Kent said: "Through my visits to The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in the years that it existed, I came to recognise the sterling qualities of this quintessentially West Country Regiment and to appreciate its professionalism as it served in many different and challenging theatres of operations. I have also come to know the very strong loyalties and comradeship which binds the men and their families in war and peace.”

Last May, the regimental association and its trustees launched an appeal for donations to create the lasting tribute which now sits in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, a year round centre of remembrance.

The memorial was dedicated to all the soldiers who served in the three county regiments over the 137 years of its existence.

First, as two separate counties before they amalgamated to become the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1958 and finally merged into The Rifles in 2007.

Lt Col Mile Richardson, of the Devonshire and Dorset Regimental Association, said: “This is our legacy at the national centre for remembrance that will honour our regiment's existence, comradeship, service to our country and sacrifice.

“It is not just a military monument, but a tribute to more than a century of loyal service and commitment by the people of Devon and Dorset, our wider regimental family, from where our soldiers came. It’s an important farewell, which will remain to inform future generations to come.”

The memorial was designed by Vivien Mallock, whose works are located in London and the battlefields of Normandy and Waterloo, and depicts a soldier from each of the three regiments.

Regimental Trustee Brigadier Simon Young CBE DL said: “It has taken three years to reach this stage; trustees and regimental association members at the Talos Art Foundry were unanimous.

“The pose, the kit and especially facial expressions reflect the regiment’s enduring spirit of understated excellence brilliantly. These three figures are all we hoped for and more.”

The names of all those who donated to the fundraising appeal will be recorded in a National Memorial Book to be stored at The Keep Military Museum.

Major General Bryan Dutton, Chairman of The Regimental Charity, said: "The underlying theme for this memorial is one of service and the three figures from The Somme, Kohima and Northern Ireland are intended to illustrate a joint commitment and culture which bridges the ages. The unspoken but understood ethos of the regiments has always been one of understated excellence.”