BACKGROUND

Towards the end of 1993 my grandfather, then 83 years of age, expressed a desire to see the grave of his father who had been killed during the First World War. No family members had ever undertaken this journey before and the last resting place of my great grandfather, John French, was unknown.

John lived with his wife Elizabeth and four young children, John, Alfred (my grandfather), Nellie and Winifred in Buckingham Road, Newbury.

My great grandfather pictured in uniform with his family. My grandfather is the little boy in the middle of the picture. Judging from the age of the children it would appear that this photograph was taken at the beginning of the war, perhaps a last family gathering before embarkation to France? It is believed that this is the only known image of my great grandfather.

Very few facts were known so we initially contacted the Commonwealth War Graves commision, based in Maidenhead, to try and ascertain where my great grandfather was buried. From the only known facts, i.e. his name and regiment (Royal Berkshire), more details about great grandfather were discovered. Private John French, 5531, 2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment had been killed on 25 September 1915 aged 36 and had no known grave but was remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing in Belgium. From other records it appeared that he was killed during fighting around Bois Grenier, south of Armentieres.

With this information my grandfather, father, mother and myself traveled to Belgium in July 1994 and made Ieper (Ypres) our base for a weekend visit.