Happy Thanksgiving from France (pronounced phronce). On yesterday we decided to go on a journey to northern France to track down my great grandfather who was Scottish and decided in 1914 that the Germans were a bit much for this world to take. He went and joined the Royal Highlanders of the United Kingdom, the Black Watch. He joined with four young children at home and an adopted daughter on the way; my great grandmother assuming matriarchal status. This was after all the war to end all wars. Because he was killed my great grandmother decided to come to America. She sent her daughter to work in America and eventually nearly the entire family was brought to the states. I remember a picture of four generations: My young brother, Rich, my mother, Lynda, my grandmother, Ina and Nana Barnes, T. H. Barnes husband.
We had some information that the grave was in Bethune, France - though this proved to be far from the full information. With the help of a French family we tracked him down where he is buried in Vermeilles, France. We set out at 10:00 am for the journey. We arrived in the area at noon, ate lunch in a small French village and received adequate directions to the cemetery.
Once we were there it was obvious we were upon a World War I cemetery, in the middle of an adorable French village. We looked him up in the guest book. He was from Naysmith, Kielty, Fife Scotland. Age 39, husband of Agnes, killed in action on August 23, 1915. It took us some searching, but we found his grave shortly after arriving. Over 2000 British soldiers are buried here (including within Scottish and Irish), seven Fre
nch soldiers and almost 200 unidentified soldiers.
We found the grave, at Plot I E. 15. Thomas Henry Barnes. It gave his name, his service number #S/8277, his date of death August 23, 1915. Below on the bottom of the weathering stone it read:
Father
In thy gracious sleeping
Leave we now
thy servant sleeping
We spent Thanksgiving giving thanks to those that came before us and gave so much. When wars had to be fought (though certainly not perfect - see Kubrick's the Paths of War), not because we went to war for profit, oil, whims and lies. His memory is one that reminds us of how much is lost in war, our men, women, our families, our homes, our cities, and our nations.
In memory of my great grandfather on Thanksgiving, 2007 I give thanks.
We had some information that the grave was in Bethune, France - though this proved to be far from the full information. With the help of a French family we tracked him down where he is buried in Vermeilles, France. We set out at 10:00 am for the journey. We arrived in the area at noon, ate lunch in a small French village and received adequate directions to the cemetery.
Once we were there it was obvious we were upon a World War I cemetery, in the middle of an adorable French village. We looked him up in the guest book. He was from Naysmith, Kielty, Fife Scotland. Age 39, husband of Agnes, killed in action on August 23, 1915. It took us some searching, but we found his grave shortly after arriving. Over 2000 British soldiers are buried here (including within Scottish and Irish), seven Fre
nch soldiers and almost 200 unidentified soldiers.We found the grave, at Plot I E. 15. Thomas Henry Barnes. It gave his name, his service number #S/8277, his date of death August 23, 1915. Below on the bottom of the weathering stone it read:
Father
In thy gracious sleeping
Leave we now
thy servant sleeping
We spent Thanksgiving giving thanks to those that came before us and gave so much. When wars had to be fought (though certainly not perfect - see Kubrick's the Paths of War), not because we went to war for profit, oil, whims and lies. His memory is one that reminds us of how much is lost in war, our men, women, our families, our homes, our cities, and our nations.
In memory of my great grandfather on Thanksgiving, 2007 I give thanks.
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