Lest we forget

In Memory of
Lance Corporal JOHN JOSEPH FANTOZZI

37702, 9th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
who died age 21
on 09 October 1917
Son of Antonio and Louisa Fantozzi, of 37, Sudbury St., Sheffield.
Remembered with honour
BARD COTTAGE CEMETERY

Commemorated in perpetuity by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Gran talked a lot about the brother she lost in the war, she got upset that he was buried away from his family and that no-one had ever visited his grave.

Thanks to the superb work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in putting their records on-line we were able to find where his grave was and Matt and I made a visit on her behalf shortly before she died.

I'm thankful that I visited it as it meant a lot to her, the experience of seeing the daily parade and sounding of the last post at the Menin Gate in Ypres was one of the most moving that I have experienced.

I rarely talk about the day job on here but want to give credit to a small group of my team's clients who spent a morning of their recent school holiday making poppies as their community reparation - they made over 1,000 poppies for the British Legion. Whilst they were making them they discussed the long term impact that wounding and killing has on families - something that they are all too familiar with. In the afternoon they went out on a constructive leisure activity but also played "spot who's wearing a poppy" and they took a pride in their small contribution.

Posted by Yvonne at November 9, 2008 09:13 AM