Two soldiers who died more than a century ago in World War I have finally been buried.
Gunner Charles Lightfoot and Sergeant John Smith died two months into the war.
They were killed during the Battle of Aisne in France in September 1914, but their bodies were not found until 15 years ago.
Gunman Lightfoot’s granddaughter, Sue Kruk, traveled to France from her home on Hayling Island, Hampshire, for the military funeral ceremony in their honour.
In 2009, French historian Jerome Buttet was investigating war graffiti in a cave near Chassémy when he discovered a makeshift grave with an inscription.
It read: “15 September 1914, here lie Sjt Smith and 3 Gnrs, 29th Battery RFA.”
Mr Buttet brought in archaeologists, who discovered two sets of remains in the cave.
Ministry of Defense (MoD) detectives at Imjin Barracks in Gloucestershire carried out investigations and DNA testing, which allowed them to identify the two fallen men as Sergeant Smith from Gloucestershire and Gunner Lightfoot from Edinburgh.
Both served with the 29th Battery of the Royal Field Artillery.
Mrs. Kruk still has a box of things from her grandmother Netty Lightfoot. Among the items she kept was a letter dated October 18, 1914, more than a month after Gunner Lightfoot was killed.
It read: “It is my painful duty to inform you that a report has been received today from the War Office, reporting the death of Gunner Charles Lightfoot.
“The cause of death was killed in action.”
Mrs. Lightfoot was pregnant when her husband left for France.
“It was so hard for women in the First World War,” says Ms Kruk.
“A whole generation of men went there, and it was terrible, and then a whole generation of women had to deal with the loss.”
Both soldiers were buried with full military honours on 13 June at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Vendresse Cemetery in France.
Ms Kruk said of the service: “I think this is the end of a chapter and it’s a beautiful ending after so much sadness.”
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