Shame on the Coldstream Guards. The famous regiment has refused to send anybody to honour one of its most famous sons, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Fremantle.

Lt-Col Fremantle is regarded as a hero in America after he toured the southern states during six months' leave from the Guards to witness the civil war and wrote down his experiences in a diary, now an important record of the conflict.

He was present at the Battle of Gettysburg, one of those clash-of-arms, which changed the face of history.

Next month, enthusiasts are planning to unveil a new memorial on his unmarked grave at Woodvale Cemetery, Brighton.

But when they asked the Coldstream Guards for a contribution, they were turned down flat, which has done itself no favours with this double snub.