"We are the old Bucks boys"
100 years ago today, my great uncle Alfred Cyril (Joe) Hale popped out from the trenches to mend some barbed wire in Ploegsteert and was shot by a sniper. He lied about his age and was 3 weeks short of his 18th birthday. Brought back from Belgium and unconscious, he died from his injuries on 1st June back in England having turned 18, but never having regained consciousness. He had a full military funeral in High Wycombe.
I'm off to Belgium at the end of May to visit the woods and will be the first in my family to do so.
He's buried in the military part of High Wycombe cemetery.
http://buckinghamshireremembers.org.uk/images/photographs/casualties/Hale A C a portrait.jpg
http://image2.findagrave.com/photos/2014/43/70291702_1392312752.jpg
If you want a bit of my family background - some John Hampden guys did a video about him. I think this qualifies me as a true Chairboy !!
http://www.buckstv.co.uk/buckstv/index-todays-btv53dceb6818bde.html
Comments
That's a great and deeply sad story. I plan to do a trip next year the first of my family to visit my great Uncle's grave - hope it goes well