IT may not be miliar name in Colchester but the story of Captain Noel Chavasse is one which should be told again and again.

The First World War hero might not be a household name but his legacy continues following his extraordinary contribution to the conflict.

And as the world gets ready to mark the centenary of the end of the Great War, we have been looking at the stories of those who were involved.

Captain Noel Chavasse, who was originally from Liverpool, is one of only three people to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice and he is the namesake of the Colchester Help for Heroes (H4H) Recovery Centre which is one of four across the country.

The British Medical Doctor, Olympic athlete and British Army Officer died on August 4, 1917, during the Passchendaele offensive aged just 32.

Ann Scott, marketing manager at the centre, explains Noel suffered serious head injuries during the battle but refused to be evacuated, continuing to venture into no man’s land and to tend to the wounded.

She says: “Despite being injured Captain Chavasse saved the lives of an estimated 20 seriously wounded men while under heavy gunfire.

“A few days later, while resting, his trench was hit by a shell.

“Mortally wounded, the Captain crawled half a mile to seek help for others.

“He was eventually evacuated but died of his wounds two days later.”

Years on, Captain Chavasse’s great-great-niece, Anna Sinfield, researched her uncle’s story as it approached the centenary of his death, reading countless archived letters describing his legendary feats, as well as speaking to experts.

She was among family members who attended a special commemorative event at the centre in Berechurch road to mark 100 years since his death.

She says: “It is great to see so many people and organisations paying respect to Noel’s legacy, including the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre in Colchester.

“It feels very apt to have a centre dedicated to the care of those who served, named after a man who was totally dedicated to his fellow soldiers wellbeing.

“Whilst I cannot claim any credit for his extraordinary story, I do feel lucky to be able to keep the story alive and not forgotten”.

Ann says since Noel was the most highly decorated British Officer of the First World War, having before he died already displayed courage beyond the call of duty at the Battle of the Somme, it seemed fitting a centre designed to help people should be named after him.

But his family have also remarked how Noel, for the time he was living in, was hugely forward thinking and had himself realised the impact on mental health conflict could have and would have been hugely supportive of the centre.

Ann adds: “His nieces said Noel put together an area in the trenches where the men could take time out and it was something he did off his own back.

“They said if he had survived the war a centre like this would have been something he would have pushed for and absolutely supported,” she adds.

Noel had a twin, Christopher, and two other brothers Bernard and Aiden.

Christopher and Noel both represented Great Britain at the 1908 Olympics in the 400m event.

Remarkably, Christopher was also decorated for for his service, earning the Military Cross for his work as an Army Chaplain and rising through the ranks in the Church of England after the war to be nominated Bishop of Rochester.

Christopher followed in their father’s footsteps Bishop of Liverpool and was behind the building of the largest and last twentieth century cathedral in the Anglican world.

All four of the Chavasse brothers served during the First World War, explains Ann.

Aidan died just a month before Noel after sustaining wounds on the battlefield but having bandaged him up before going for help when his comrades returned to him he had gone and his body was never recovered.

As a result he is listed on the Menin Gate, a memorial to the missing in Belgium.

Noel is thought to be commemorated by more war memorials in the UK than any other individual.

The Help for Heroes Recovery Centre was paid for entirely by public donations and opened five years ago.

Chavasse VC House, inspires, enables and supports those who are wounded, injured or sick while serving their country, encouraging them to lead active, independent and fulfilling lives, while also supporting their loved ones.

It has a gym, an award-winning reflective garden and a support hub made up of multiple charities along with a psychological well-being suite, en-suite bedrooms, family rooms and a creative studio.

Christopher’s granddaughters Camilla and Julia attended the opening of the garden last September.

Camilla says : “Noel came from a family of those with a great faith and sense of duty; they always wanted to help others.

“Even when Noel carried out those acts which saw him awarded the Victoria Cross he didn’t feel like he was being brave.

“It was just the way he was; he just wanted to help his men.”