We were on our annual trip to France in June and, as we often do, we stopped to look at some of the Commonwealth War Cemeteries on our way home. This year, with the centenary of the Battle of the Somme approaching, we wanted to find the graves of two of the three men who are named on the First World War memorial in Ashford Bowdler church, both of whom died in action in that tragic endeavour.
The first of these was Private George Burston of the Royal Fusiliers, who was killed on 31st July 1916. His grave is in the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, which is near the village of Longueval and lies almost exactly where the front line stood at the date of his death. This is a large cemetery in open country with several hundred graves, many of them unnamed and marked “known unto God”. We know that George was born in London and Margaret Small, whose family were here at the time, believes he may have been a servant at Ashford Hall.
The second man was Gunner Ernest Hayle of the Royal Field Artillery, who died on 10th April 1917. He is buried some miles to the north, at Anzin-St. Aubin on the outskirts of Arras. This is a much smaller and more intimate cemetery tucked away behind suburban gardens. After earlier showers, it was a beautifully sunny day when we visited and we were struck by the tranquillity of its setting. Ernest’s grave is one of a group of four - a captain and three gunners - who all died on the same day, most probably killed next to their gun by a single mortar or shell. A poignant reminder of the horrors of that distant war. The Hayles lived at the old toll cottage on the edge of Ashford Bowdler, long since demolished, and Ernest was presumably the brother of Bert Hayle, whom Tom Froggatt remembers was the local postman between the wars.
We took several photos of both graves and on each one we left a small pot plant (bought from a local supermarket!) and a note reading “From the villagers of Ashford Bowdler in Shropshire, where he is named on the war memorial in St. Andrew’s church. May he rest in peace”.
Jeremy and Ann Lansdell