My mother Elsie Jones (born 1916) and father George Twining (born 1914) gave my son James Twining (their grandson) their collection of medals from both world wars as well as the commorative gold medallion for Great Uncle Private William Jones who was my mother's uncle.

James has a holiday home in Provence and often travels through northern France. This year, 2014, and unknown to me, he decided to track down Private Jones and managed to locate his grave in La Neuville Cemetry, Corbie.  He sent me a photograph of the tombstone, at the foot of which he had placed Great Uncle William's gold medallion and added a note that I  'should pop in and see him sometime'.

I found the photograph very moving as it placed the medallion sent to Great Uncle William's parents next to the spot where he was lying - it had come home so to speak.  I am also ashamed to say that until that point I had no idea of Great Uncle William's existence, let alone his death.

I hope that this short commemorative note goes some way to correcting that situation so that his name and some of his family's names live on.

Great Uncle William, thank you for sacrificing your life for Elsie and George, for my brother Peter and me, for my children James and Joanna, and for their children (and our grand children) Amelia, Jemima, Felix and Ethan.

May you continue to rest in peace

Robert (Bob) Twining, on 6th November 2014, born in Birmingham in January 1943 and now living near London

 

Bob Twining