Our World War One graves
Whilst out on one of my local walks during the first lockdown I met my friend from the gym, Dilys Ward and somehow we got onto the fact that she was interested to see that there were Commonwealth war graves in the Additional Burial Ground. I had been doing a bit of clearing in the ABG myself with our lodger Michael and so we got chatting about the graves in there, including the World War One graves. Dilys said that in normal times she went every year on a tour to Flanders led by her friend David Humberston and how much these meant to her and she would look these graves out in the ABG herself.
Later in the summer our paths crossed again, and Dilys mentioned that David and his wife were coming to stay for the weekend and she intended to take them to see the ABG. It was a baking hot weekend and I suspected that they probably opted to stay indoors as many of us did! But no – she let me know that they had had a very interesting visit together and spent more time there than originally planned.
I thought nothing more of it until about ten days ago an email dropped into my inbox from Dilys. Unbeknown to me David Humberston is the Chairman of the Western Front Association , Leicestershire and Rutland Branch and a battlefield guide. Since visiting Hampstead he had been busy researching the lives of the six WW1 veterans buried in our ABG and produced the most wonderful piece of work. You can read the results of David’s research on the church’s website by following
On Remembrance Weekend it is wonderful to read of the stories of Geoffrey Rose, Francis Ellerton, George Harvest, John McClure, Anthony Beesley, and Angus Campbell who gave their lives for our nation.
Huge thanks to David for his work – It a timely reminder to us all of the sacrifice made by others for us.
‘We will remember them’