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A bronze statue of Buller astride his horse 'Biffen'. The statue faces away from Crediton, Buller's birthplace, which was said to have annoyed people in the town at the time. General Sir Redvers (pronounced 'Reevers') Buller is one of the few people to have been present at the unveiling of a statue depicting themselves. Although he was a soldier of undoubted courage and unusual physical strength, his ability as a commander was increasingly questioned at the beginning of the twentieth century. He was dismissed from his command in 1901 after he broke King's Regulations by defending his tactics at a public lunch. The people of the West Country expressed their support and admiration for his philanthropy by erecting the statue. Later historians have suggested that Buller was a scapegoat for the faults of the army at the time.
Title
General Sir Redvers Buller (1839–1908), VC
Date
1905
Medium
bronze & Cornish granite
Measurements
H 400 x W 400 x D (?) cm;
Plinth: H 335 x W (?) x D (?) cm
Accession number
EX4_CW_S001
Acquisition method
purchased by public subscription
Work type
Equestrian
Owner
Exeter City Council
Custodian
Exeter City Council
Work status
extant
Listing status
Grade II (England and Wales)
Unveiling date
6th September 1905
Listing date
29/01/53
Access
at all times
Signature/marks description
underneath the right rear hoof of the statue:ADRIAN JONES. Sc. / 1905; underneath the left rear hoof of the statue:A. B. BURTON
Inscription description
inscriptions on three faces around the base read: 1859–1900 / INDIA CHINA / CANADA ASHANTI / EGYPT SOUDAN / SOUTHAFRICA / HE SAVED NATAL; REDVERS BULLER / V.C. G.C.B., G.C.M.G / OF DOWNES; ERECTED / BY HIS COUNTRYMEN / AT HOME AND BEYOND THE SEAS / 1905; on the fourth face is the badge, in brass, of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps incorporating their motto: CELER ET AUDAX (SWIFT AND BOLD)