Friday 21 February 2014

21st February, 1919...

While taking JRT out for a stroll in the stone orchard, in a village near here, Scrobs wandered past a broken tree which had been felled during the recent storms.

One of the branches had fallen across a gravestone, which turned out to be the same identifiable version of all grave markers for men and women killed during the wars.

JRT was happy sniffing around, and I just pulled away the branches, and saw that it was indeed the gravestone of a soldier from 'The Buffs', (East Kent Regiment), who was asleep there. Sad to say, that I had to take a gulp, as he'd died this very day - 21st February, 1919.

It only took a few key strokes to find the exact house where Tom Smith had lived, and also to see the front door where his wife would have stood to receive the sad news, and the main bedroom window above, where she would have spent her first sleepless nights as a widow.

Sometimes there's just a bit too much information around, when a little poignant, suspended memory would suffice...

10 comments:

rvi said...

Another of those coincidences we were discussing earlier....? Life seems to play tricks on us all the time.

RIP Tom

Scrobs. said...

Goes without saying, Reevers!

I get a bit emotional when The Buffs get a look-in...

Your story still lingers, and probably won't go away for some time.

Electro-Kevin said...

Yes.

It's hard to imagine the anxiety, the distress and the heartbreak.

Trubes said...

That is so touching Scrobs and so kind of you to give the brave young man such a poignant obituary...heads bowed indeed !

Di..xx

PS. hope all are well at Scrobs Turrets, I'm just kick starting my blog,,xx

Scrobs. said...

It was such a simple discovery, Elecs, and the result was much bigger than I would have expected.

Scrobs. said...

Trubidoos! What a sight it is to see your name here again! I hope and trust you are fit and well, and dancing again!

'Heads bowed' is a right way to describe the thoughts I felt - you must know me better than you think!

Where's your blog now?

Anonymous said...

Such a touching story. And feelings so well expressed - with you completely.

Said Pip xx

Thud said...

RIP Soldier.

Scrobs. said...

There are only three 'official' WW1 Markers in the churchyard, Pips, but when I take JRT out there and she starts poking around, I occasionally see another name added to a parent's grave, so they sometimes get a poppy from us...

The names all did get put on the two memorials though!

Scrobs. said...

Absolutely, Thud!

He must have come home to England first, but didn't get better!