Unveiled: the new memorial in Doncaster to our Yorkshire war heroes

John Humphries, aged 88, who served with 1st Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from 1949 - 1968, pictured at the new KOYLI memorial in Elmfield Park, Doncaster. Picture: David Kessen

This is the new memorial to the heroes who fought with one of Doncaster's most famous army regiments.

The memorial to the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry has been unveiled today in Elmfield Park, Doncaster, after a Â£126,000 fundraising campaign backed by the Doncaster Free Press.

The statue depicts a patrolling soldier of the KOYLI during the Malayan Emergency of 1948 to 1951 during which the regiment lost 31 soldiers.

It was unvieled in front of 300 invited guests including many soldiers who served with the regiment, which was one of Doncaster's biggest recruiters during the two world wars and up until 1968, when the regiment was absorbed into The Light Infantry in a defence re-organisation.

Among those at the dedication service was veteran John Humphries, aged 88, who served with the regiment from 1949 until 1968, including in Malaya, the campaign which the soldier on the statue depicts. He won the British Empire Medal for his service with KOYLI in Aden, doing mine and bomb detection.

He said: "I think it is excellent. It brings back the memories, some good, some not so good.

"I'm very proud of the regiment."