By Gary Cooper

AN APPEAL for help to trace relatives of a Kirriemuir soldier who won the country’s highest award for gallantry was made yesterday.

The town’s community council is desperate to find someone with links to Private Charles Melvin to take part in an event next month marking his heroism.

He is one of three Victoria Cross winners being honoured by a commemorative stone to be unveiled at Cumberland Close, Kirriemuir, at 11am on November 11.

It will also bear the names of Captain Charles Lyell and Corporal Richard Burton.

Community council chairman Roland Proctor said efforts to find relatives of Captain Lyell and Corporal Burton had proved successful.

“But we have really drawn a blank with Private Melvin,” he said yesterday. “The problem is, he had no direct descendants. There were two nephews who lived in Dundee, but I think our only hope is in trying to get in touch with some of his great-nephews.”

Private Melvin, who served with the 2nd Battalion The Black Watch, won his commendation in 1917 against the Turks at Istabulat in Mesopotamia, now Iraq.

His company had been waiting for reinforcements before attacking a front-line trench, but he rushed on by himself over ground raked by machine-gun fire.

On reaching the trench and having killed one or two of the enemy, he jumped into it and attacked the rest with his bayonet in his hand, as his rifle was damaged.

Most of the enemy fled, but only after Private Melvin killed two more, disarmed eight and wounded one.

He tended the wounded man then took him and his other prisoners back to his own lines before returning to the firing line.

Captain Lyell, who served with the 1st Battalion Scots Guards in the second world war, was killed in action at Dj Bou Arada, north Africa, leading an attack on an artillery and machine gun post in 1943.

Corporal Burton was recognised for his deeds at Monte Ceco in Italy in 1944, serving with the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.

After exhausting his Tommy-gun ammunition, he picked up a Bren gun and, firing from the hip, killed or wounded two machine-gun crews.

The memorial to the three men is being carved by town sculptor Bruce Walker on Caithness stone.

Anyone able to help the community council track down relatives of Private Melvin is urged to contact Mr Proctor on 0131 310 8530.