One of the best parts of this job is the diversity of the tasks that come in.  One of the more interesting that has come in recently is the funeral and re-internment of a soldier from Operation Market Garden from World War 2.

Not one for being known as a historian, but basically Operation Market Garden was the momentous assault by the allies of Arnhem in the Netherlands and more specifically the bridge in Arnhem.

The operation was known for a number of reasons, mostly for its audacity and the scale as an airborne operation made famous by the old film ‘a bridge too far’.

 

Not all the soldiers involved were Para’s or airborne and due to the intensity and ferocity of the fighting many soldiers lost their lives, many being buried in field graves and marked accordingly with the intention of burying properly after the battle.

As part of the battle though, the German military burst dykes and flooded part of the land as a defensive measure which also washed away many of the grave markers meaning so many soldiers were never found.

 

Occasionally remains of soldiers are found and the difficult task of identification ensues.  With no DNA records on file, the investigations are usually based on artifacts found on the bodies and dental records which do take an inordinate amount of time.

 

Private Curtis was only 19 when he fought and lost his life in battle with his unit  the 5th Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment.  His body was discovered almost ten years ago and then the difficulty began to try to identify him.

 

 

The family were there to see him buried with full military honours and the poignant thing was that a relative of Pte Curtis, Rifleman Edwards is now serving with 5 Rifles who are the current guise of the old regiment.