Dorchester man's hunt for trophy named after tragic son

Guy Holliday was killed in a tragic crash on the road between Weymouth and Dorchester in 1973 at the age of 17.

He had been a pupil at the old Hardye’s School in Barnes Way and was a star in the Royal Naval Cadets.

Guy was the first pupil to become cadet coxswain and in the summer before his untimely death the school created a special trophy in his name to be given to the top cadet in subsequent years.

His father Denis, 93, and his family are now appealing for information as to the whereabouts of the trophy, which offers one of the few remaining links to their loved one.

Denis, who lives in Dorchester, says he has not seen the trophy since that summer of 1973 and when he contacted the modern day Thomas Hardye School they did not have it.

He fears it may have been lost when the school moved from Barnes Way to the present site at Queen’s Avenue back in 1992 or he says it could still be in the possession of the last cadet to claim the trophy.

Denis, his wife Louise and daughter Kate James, who lives in London, have issued a plea for anyone who can help them track down the item to come forward.

He said: “My family are very keen to hear from anyone who might know where it is – it would mean so much to us.

“It would be a sort of contact with him.”

Denis added: “The only feeling I have is perhaps it was presented to another student and they left and may not have given it back, or it may have been lost at the time they were moving to Queen’s Avenue.”

Guy was riding his moped when he met his tragic fate near the turning to Winterborne Monkton 37 years ago.

Denis said: “It was a terrible period.

“It affected my wife particularly and my daughter has always felt sorry she hasn’t got a brother.

“A lot of his friends were very much affected.”

If you have any information about the whereabouts of the trophy, contact Harry Hogger at the Dorchester office of the Dorset Echo on 01305 269801 or email him harry.hogger@dorsetecho.co.uk