THE wife of a retired priest has embarked on a "moving and emotional" journey to discover more about a handful of fallen war heroes from the heart of rural North Devon.

Sandra Andrews, 58, from South Molton, decided to find out more about the 17 soldiers named on the East Worlington war memorial after her husband, Bob, was asked to conduct the remembrance service at the local church.

Sandra said: "We'd never been to the area before so we went on a recce and couldn't help but admire the beautiful memorial which has recently been restored.

"It stands silently on a Devon hedge at Boundy's Cross — perfectly trisecting East and West Worlington and Drayford.

"When I saw the 17 names from both the First and Second World War, I instantly wanted to know more about them.

"People must look at the memorial all the time without ever knowing who these silent heroes were."

Sandra's thirst for knowledge was sparked after reading her father-in-law's 90-year-old First World War diary from the trenches.

Sandra carried out research on the North Molton war memorial two years ago and enjoyed the challenge so much that she had to do more.

She said: "As part of my research I visited an amazing cemetery in the Marne region of France.

"There were hundreds of white headstones — all for men who put down their farm implements and were thrust into the appalling carnage of war.

"We even discovered the grave of a brother of my father-in-law. It was very moving.

Sandra started her research into the names on the East Worlington war memorial in early September and spent hundreds of hours over the next two months compiling her findings.

She said: "I carried out my research using the national archives at Kew, local studies libraries across Devon, various ancestry websites and records from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

"When you have names, ages and the dates they died you can find out a lot more about them."

The soldiers named on the memorial came from towns and villages across rural North Devon including Witheridge, Chawleigh and Worlington.

Some were lost at war and never found but several interesting stories came to light over the course of Sandra's research.

She said: "Three brothers from West Worlington named Butt fought together in the First World War but only one of them came back — it was a harrowing thing to find out.

"I also visited the grave of Alfred Hitchcock, a former horseman from East Worlington, who died aged 21 alongside the war poet William Noel Hodgson at the Battle of the Somme.

"He is buried in the trench where he was killed at Mametz in France. A nearby memorial reads 'The Devonshires held this trench, the Devonshires hold it still'."

Sandra's journey has been both emotional and harrowing but she says the experience has only served to feed her fascination with the subject.

She said: "The names on the memorial have become like friends to me — a silent township revealing their secrets.

"I'm a bit of an anorak when it comes to genealogy and certainly plan to do more in the future.

"I can't walk past a cemetery or war memorial without wanting to find out more."

● Private George Boundy of the Devonshire Regiment

● Private Owen Butt of the Devonshire Regiment

● Private Charles Crocker of the Yorkshire Regiment

● Private Henry Edworthy of the Worcestershire Regiment

● Private Alfred Hitchcock of the Devonshire Regiment

● Corporal William John Pike of the Devonshire Regiment

● Major Humphrey St Leger Stucley of the Grenadier Guards

● Private John Venner of the Devonshire Regiment

● Private William James Vickery of the Devonshire Regiment

● Private George Yendell of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment

● Private Stafford Butt of the Devonshire Regiment

● Private Henry (Harry) Vickery of the Devonshire Regiment

● Private Robert John Yendell of the Devonshire Regiment

● Sgt Francis J Allen of 424 Squadron RAFVR

● William Lee (no information found)

● Flying Officer Geoffrey W Maddock of the Glider Pilot Regiment RAVF

● Pilot Officer Stephen J Troake of 76 Squadron RAVF