Angus, the son of a Coleford doctor, was enjoying life at Jesus College, Oxford in 1914 when the Great War broke out. He was quick to trade his position as secretary of the Athletics Club for that of a Lieutenant in the Army and swap his rowing sculls for a rifle. He toured in Galipoli and Mesopotamia. In 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross and was mentioned in dispatches four times.
On 5th April 1916, whilst acting as a temporary Captain, the following act earned him one of only 628 Victoria Crosses awarded during this horrific war.
"For most conspicuous bravery. During an attack an officer was lying out in the open severely wounded about 150 yards from cover. Two men went to his assistance and one of them was hit at once. Captain Buchanan, on seeing this, immediately went out and, with the help of the other man, carried the wounded officer to cover under heavy machine gun fire. He then returned and brought in the wounded man, again under heavy fire." - London Gazette
In 1917 Angus was shot in the head by a sniper and was blinded. He returned to Oxford to study law and even continued rowing. After a spell working in Oxford he returned to Coleford where he eventually died in 1945. He is buried in Coleford Cemetery at the posted coordinates.
The Angus Buchanan Recreation Ground has a good kiddies playground and the park is popular with dogs and their owners, so why not bring a ball with you if you have a canine companion. Parking is free.
The cache.
The posted coordinates are for the cemetery, though you can chose to locate the information required either from the cemetery or from the war memorial. Either way you will find the cache at N51° 47.ABC W002° 37.DEF
The Cemetery
Dogs are not permitted in the cemetery. The entrance is from the road just before you enter the park.
Find the number of the line which contains each of the following words on Angus Buchanan's headstone. i.e. first line = 1, second line = 2, etc.
A. QUALIFIED
B. ANGUS
C. BLINDED
D. TOWN
E. WALES
F. ACTION
The War Memorial
On 5/4/2016 a memorial stone was laid here in front of Coleford War Memorial in recognition of the outstanding bravery Angus showed exactly 100 years before.
How many times do these surnames appear on the roll of honour? Check all sections. I would recommend taking a photo just in case you need to check things later.
A. Smith
B. Latham
C. Harris
D. Powell + Powles
E. Williams
F. Morgan
