..WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.. Charles Markwick and Frank Edward Harris .. and new stamps issued 28th July 2014

It seemed fitting in this the year of the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World war, to visit  Ypres or Ieper as it is known in Belgium, where two of our family members are commemorated. Having spent a fortnight's holiday in Switzerland, we returned via France and then Belgium, taking the road to  the beautiful Tyne Cot Cemetery.  We had previously enquired about the memorials via the CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)  and easily found Panels No. 50 and 51 containing names of members of the Leicestershire Regiment, in which Sgt.Frank Edward Harris served in the 6th Battalion.  He died aged 37 on 28th April 1918, leaving a wife and son, Herbert, aged just 8 years old. He was my mum's uncle and his son, Herbert was looked after by my grandparents after  his own mother's death a year after Frank was killed. Herbert was a talented artist and we have some of his beautiful paintngs on our walls.

Last photograph of the Harris family together  before Frank's departure .. 

Tyne Cot Memorial panel no. 50

It had been raining heavily all morning during our trip from Reims but the sun came out shortly before our arrival at the beautifully tended cemetery, with its many many pristine white gravestones, all planted with roses and other shrubs, and with the Cross of Sacrifice in the centre.

The nearby visitors' centre contains many items found on the battlefields as well as personal items, letters and medals donated by  soldiers' families.

We drove three miles further on toYpres, and located the name of  Private Charles Markwick,  on Panel no. 34 of the Menin Gate, leading  into the city itself. Charles Markwick was Geoff's father's eldest brother, who died on 26th April 1915, aged 26. He served in the East Surrey regiment. Sadly we have no photos of him.

Charles Markwick commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres

Six British Stamps were issued last week to commemorate the start of the war on 4th August 1914 - These are the first of five sets of 6 stamps  to be issued over  the next  five years - the duration of the war.

see: www.royalmailgroup.com for full details of all the stamps to be issued.