Sixty five years after Trooper Peter McFadyen was killed in action in the Korean War, his sister Elizabeth Stark has been presented with the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll during a ceremony at the City Chambers. Trooper Peter McFadyen, a tank driver in the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, was 22 years old when he lost his life during tank warfare at Hill 187 on 4 September 1952. He had just 10 weeks left to complete of his two year National Service.
A grate builder with a keen interest in boxing and cycling, Trooper Peter McFadyen was raised in West Edinburgh at Stenhouse Place. He was described as a loyal and steadfast member of the Regiment and recognised with the Korea Medal and United Nations Service Medal during his time in service.
His relatives were presented with the honour from the Queen last week by Edinburgh’s Lord Lieutenant and Veterans Champion, Donald Wilson, who said: “It is an honour to bestow Peter’s sister and extended family with a tangible recognition of his bravery. We owe a great debt of gratitude to those men and women who serve in our Armed Forces today and who have done so in the past.
“That debt extends to the families who support them and who bear the burden whilst loved ones are deployed on operations. The Elizabeth Cross provides a lasting recognition of Peter’s National Service and the loss felt by his sister and all others he left behind.”
Major Lee Shearer, speaking on behalf of the British Army, said: “Today is a very poignant moment for Trooper Peter McFadyen’s family. This young man from Edinburgh served his nation and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Our country owes Trooper McFadyen and his family a debt of gratitude.
“This presentation will mean a great deal to those he left behind whilst protecting our way of life. As a member of the Armed Forces, I feel humbled and privileged to have been part of this ceremony.”
In a statement, Trooper McFadyen’s family said: “We would like to thank the Ministry of Defence and Major Shearer for arranging this special day. Peter, who died in Korea aged 22, is, and will always be, missed. This medal and scroll will be passed down through the family, who will always have a reminder of the sacrifice Peter and his fellow comrades made.”
The Elizabeth Cross award was created in 2009 to provide national recognition for the families of Armed Forces personnel who have died on operations or as a result of an act of terrorism. It is granted to the families of those who died in conflicts dating back to 1948, from the Korean War, the Falklands conflict, operations in Northern Ireland and recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a message to her Armed Forces, Her Majesty the Queen said: “This seems to me a right and proper way of showing our enduring debt to those who are killed while actively protecting what is most dear to us all. The solemn dignity which we attach to the names of those who have fallen is deeply engrained in our national character. As a people, we accord this ultimate sacrifice the highest honour and respect.”
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