A BROTHER and sister travelled all the way from Australia to attend a Remembrance service in Chedworth in honour of their late father.

David Scott, 69, and Mary Chamberlain, 71, from Perth, came to the village to see their father’s name, Hector Scotford, on the newly restored plaque in the porch of St Andrew’s Church.

Mr Scotford grew up in Chedworth and served in the First World War, and two of his five children – David and Mary – were proud to visit their father’s hometown and pay their respects to him at a Remembrance service.

“I’m ex-military myself and always had an interest in what my dad did,” said David.

“I always wanted to find out how he got his medal which was hard to get hold of until the last 12 months.”

During his search for information, David managed to get in contact with Peter Seymour and Mike Tovey in Chedworth, which led to him finding out more details.

He has been working on an album, filling in the gaps of his father’s life, for the last 20 to 30 years.

He and his siblings were then invited to the Remembrance service, as well as a special concert, and David was asked to lay a wreath on behalf of all relatives of soldiers.

Mr Scotford grew up in Chedworth and served in the war before moving to Australia in 1924.

He was awarded a Military Medal for gallantry and devotion to duty after being out with a fighting patrol one night which was attacked by a large group of Uhlans.

Despite being seriously wounded in one shoulder, he managed to get to headquarters. It was feared he would lose his arm but, fortunately, that was not the case.

Mr Scotford, who changed his name to Scott during the Second World War to make it shorter and snappier, had five children and died in 1957. His name was never legally changed but his family all adopted it.