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Bushmills Victoria Cross hero may get hometown statue

Plans are afoot to secure a dedicated memorial to an Ulster war hero in his home town.

The possibility is being examined of having a dedicated memorial or sculpture in Bushmills to honour Sergeant Robert Quigg, who was awarded a Victoria Cross for his heroics in the Battle of the Somme.

Discussions have taken place at Moyle Council in Ballycastle and it was agreed to write to the Royal British Legion in Bushmills and the MacNaghten Estate in Bushmills to get their views.

Many would like to see a memorial in place in Bushmills ahead of 2016 which will be the centenary of Quigg's heroics in World War One. 

On 1 July Robert's platoon advanced three times only to be beaten back by the Germans. Many hundreds of the 12th Battalion were either killed or wounded. In the confusion of battle it became known that Lieutenant McNaughten was missing. Robert Quigg immediately volunteered to go out into no-mans land and search for his commander.

His actions during that fruitless search led him to receive the Victoria Cross. His citation reads as follows: "Hearing a rumour that his platoon officer was lying wounded, he went out seven times to look for him, under heavy shell and machine-gun fire, each time bringing back a wounded man....  

Read entire article at BBC