Charity at war over ownership of battleground
THE sale of a Somme battlefield will be reversed after it provoked fury among a charity’s members.
The Western Front Association has been plunged into crisis since the revelation it sold the Butte de Warlencourt to former chairman Bob Paterson.
Outrage at the decision has led to four trustees of the heritage group resigning and an investigation from the Charity Commission.
The Butte, an ancient artificial mound, marked the limit of the British advance during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
Anger
WFA members were left surprised by its sudden sale and vented their anger about the lack of transparency around the process.
Military historian Taff Gillingham said that the sale had been “completely mismanaged” by the charity and called on trustees to resign.
He also claimed that four trustees had resigned over the row and that Mr Paterson had decided to sell back the Butte.
Mr Gillingham wrote on Facebook that Mr Paterson’s intention “was always to finish the work that he had started on the Butte and that he is certain that he would have made a superb custodian”.
A short statement on the charity’s website said details of the resale are to be arranged.
A spokeswoman for the Charity Commission said: “We will be contacting the charity to ensure all appropriate steps were taken in decisionmaking around the sale of the land.”
The war of words over the Butte first broke out after members learned of its sale through a newsletter, prompting questions over the sale process.
In a subsequent statement the WFA, which bought the Butte in 1990, said Mr Paterson met the “necessary criteria” for ownership and it had not considered any other offers, or consulted with its membership.
It is understood that trustees had become increasingly concerned over their personal financial liability for the land under French insurance law.
A quick sale was sought with Mr Paterson considered a good candidate as he had previously led a renovation project at the Butte and lives part of the year nearby.