这位在全国范围内致力于清理军人墓地的资深志愿者——BBC/Seb Cheer Stonemason——以及前士兵Steve Davies，本周与里彭（Ripon）的志愿者们一起参与了这项工作。2026年9月26日，在圣约翰教堂（St John’s Church）的阴影下，240块几乎一模一样的军人墓碑整齐地排列成一行。然而，这些墓碑中的大多数自安装以来几乎从未被清理过（大约已有70年的历史）。许多墓碑上覆盖着黑色的霉菌和地衣，有些甚至已经严重损坏、濒临倒塌。
The veteran who travels the country cleaning military graves BBC/Seb Cheer Stonemason and former soldier Steve Davies has worked with volunteers and veterans in Ripon this week Seb Cheer Ripon 26 September 2026 In the shadows of St John's Church, 240 almost identical military gravestones are lined up in uniform rows. But most have been untouched since they were installed about 70 years ago. Many are covered in black mould and lichen, with others wonky or falling apart - until this week.
这次清理工作是由一群来自里彭附近沙罗（Sharow）的退伍军人和社区志愿者们共同完成的，他们接受了经验丰富的石匠兼前士兵Steve Davies的指导。这位68岁的Davies曾服役于英国皇家绿夹克步兵团（Royal Green Jackets, RGJ），退休后便开始在全国各地寻找那些被遗忘的军人墓地。他的行动始于一次偶然的发现：他看到了一块属于18岁士兵的墓碑——这名士兵隶属于1966年并入皇家绿夹克步兵团的步枪旅（Rifle Brigade）。
A group of veterans and community volunteers at the church in Sharow, near Ripon, have worked to clean the memorials, taught by qualified stonemason and former soldier Steve Davies. The 68-year-old, who served with the Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) infantry regiment, has spent his retirement so far travelling across the British Isles, finding "forgotten military graves". His efforts began when he saw a grave for an 18-year-old member of the Rifle Brigade, which became part of the RGJ in 1966.
Davies回忆说：“这名士兵在停战前六周就去世了，但他的墓碑已经完全被杂草覆盖、变得难以辨认。”八年前，他和妻子共同修复了那块墓碑；随后的一周，他们又修复了另外五座墓碑。
The rifleman had died six weeks before the Armistice, but his grave was "absolutely overgrown and black", Davies says. "You couldn't read it. I just thought 'that's not right'." Eight years ago, he and his wife restored the grave and returned the following week to fix five more.
Davies来自肯特郡（Kent），至今已修复了大约1,600座军人墓碑，其中许多墓碑上刻着对维多利亚十字勋章（Victoria Cross）获得者的纪念文字。通过他创办的非营利组织，Davies雇用了两名研究人员来寻找这些逝者的亲属。他还与英国皇家工程师协会（Royal Engineers Association, REA）密切合作，共同修复该协会管理的战争纪念碑。
Davies, who is from Kent, estimates he has since restored about 1,600 graves, including dozens paying tribute to Victoria Cross recipients Through his not-for-profit community interest company, Davies employs two researchers to track down relatives of those who died. He also works closely with The Royal Engineers Association (REA) to restore the charity's war memorials.
在过去三年里，该协会一直委托他负责为全国各地的退伍军人提供石匠技术培训课程。Davies表示，这个项目取得了巨大成功，许多参与者因此获得了石匠行业的工作机会。
For the last three years, the charity has commissioned him to run training sessions for veterans around the country. The project has been "very successful", he says, with some participants getting jobs in the stonemasonry industry.
慈善机构首席执行官肯·柯克表示，与其他退伍军人会面“至关重要”。在里彭，皇家退伍军人协会（REA）的首席执行官与志愿者一起清理墓地。
Charity CEO Ken Kirk says meeting other veterans is "critical" In Ripon, the REA's chief executive joins volunteers in cleaning the graves.
肯·柯克本人也是一名退伍军人，他说这项工作“体力消耗很大”。
Ken Kirk, himself a veteran, says the work is "quite physical".
他补充道：“在清理之前，你根本看不清墓碑上的名字和军衔徽章。”
"Until you've cleaned them, you can't see the names and the cap badges," he adds.
“这些人可能曾在一战中服役，也许在二战中，甚至有些人可能参加过布尔战争。”圣约翰教堂正在清理的240座军事墓葬属于利斯特豪斯疗养院的居民。该疗养院由英国皇家退伍军人协会运营，直到20世纪80年代搬迁前，一直位于教堂旁边的土地上。
"These are people who would have been serving in the first world war, maybe in the second and some maybe even in the Boer War." The 240 military graves being cleaned at St John's belong to residents of Lister House, a care home operated by the Royal British Legion, which was on land adjacent to the church until it was relocated in the 1980s.
柯克说：“现在没有家属来照料这些墓地，因此这是一个让当地社区和当地退伍军人参与进来的好机会。”
"There's no families now to look after them so it's a good opportunity to get the local community involved, our local veterans up here," Kirk says.
他补充说，退伍军人之间相互交流和共同工作的机会“至关重要”。
He adds that opportunities for veterans to meet and work with each other are "critical".
他解释道：“有些人可能很久没有与人交流，或者变得有些孤立，尤其是在新冠疫情之后。”
"There are people who maybe haven't communicated or maybe got a bit isolated, particularly after Covid," he explains.
“让他们做点事情，哪怕只是在这里待一天，也意味着他们建立了大量新的人际联系。”收听：志愿者和退伍军人正在里彭修复240座军事墓葬戴维斯补充道：“清理墓地，尤其是军事墓地，有助于舒缓你的情绪。”
"Getting them to do something, even if it's only one day here, it means they've got a whole load of new connections." Listen: Volunteers and veterans restoring 240 military graves in Ripon "Cleaning graves, especially military ones, it helps you with your head," Davies adds.
“我在20世纪70年代在军队服役，当时北爱尔兰局势非常恶劣。我患有复杂性创伤后应激障碍、焦虑症和抑郁症。”
"I served in the army in the 70s, when Northern Ireland wasn't a very nice place, and I've got complex PTSD, anxiety and depression.
“我服用了一些有效的药物，但在这里做的事情给了我很大的满足感。”除了当地退伍军人，疗养院的居民也自愿抽出时间来帮忙。十几岁的乔·卡顿说，是他的祖父母告诉他这个项目的。
"I've got some good drugs but what I do here gives me a lot of satisfaction." Alongside local veterans, residents have volunteered their time to help. Teenager Joe Catton says his grandparents told him about the project.
“当我听说他们终于开始清理这些墓地时，我觉得这是件好事——反正我也正好有空闲时间，为什么不帮忙呢？”这位19岁的年轻人说道。“看到那些墓碑重新变得洁白如新，真是太棒了！”
"When I heard that they were finally cleaning it, because it has been in a bit of a state for as long as I remember, I thought it's the right thing to do, I've got a free day. Why not?" The 19-year-old adds: "To see them shining white is brilliant."
乔·卡顿（Joe Catton）和莎拉·斯蒂尔（Sarah Steel）都是参与清理工作的志愿者。莎拉·斯蒂尔自1999年以来就一直居住在里彭（Ripon），她认为这项工作“非常有意义”。她的丈夫、两个儿子以及公公都曾在军队服役。
Joe Catton and Sarah Steel are among the volunteers helping out Sarah Steel, who has lived in Ripon since 1999, says it is a "worthwhile job". Her husband, two sons and father-in-law all served in the military.
“直到今天我才知道，‘李斯特之家’（Lister House）其实曾经位于夏罗（Sharow）地区，因此这些墓碑才会被安放在这里。”“清理后的效果真的非常令人惊叹，”她高兴地说。
"I only found out today that Lister House used to be in Sharow and that is why all these gravestones are here," she says. The result is "pretty amazing", she beams.
“我不知道这些墓地上次被清理是什么时候了……如果有人允许的话，我打算几年后再来这里帮忙。”
"I don't know when they were last cleaned, if ever, but I will be back here in a couple of years' time if somebody lets me know."
在大多数他访问过的地方，戴维斯（Davies）都希望培训志愿者，让他们能够每年定期维护这些墓地。
In most of the places he visits, Davies hopes to train volunteers to maintain graves on an annual basis.
在里彭，他已经找到了几位合适的志愿者人选，不过他也可能会亲自再次参与清理工作。
In Ripon, he has identified "a couple" of possible candidates, but may return himself instead.
“让我感到有些不满的是：这些墓碑属于‘英国皇家军团’（Royal British Legion）的成员，但他们似乎对维护这些墓地并不感兴趣。”
"It just annoys me a bit that these are Royal British Legion graves from the old Lister House, but they don't seem to be interested," he says.
该慈善机构的发言人表示：“战争纪念碑和墓地是为了纪念所有为祖国献出生命的军人，理应受到最崇高的尊重。不过，‘英国皇家军团’并不负责墓碑的维护工作；这项责任应由相关家属或土地所有者承担。”
A spokesperson for the charity, which does not own the land, says: "War memorials and graves honour the memory of every member of the Armed Forces who has made the ultimate sacrifice and deserve to be treated with the utmost respect. "However, the Royal British Legion is not responsible for the upkeep, maintenance or repair of gravestones, this responsibility lies with the relevant family or landowner."