Soldiers From The First World War Were Buried 110 Years After Their Death

Two soldiers who died in World War I more than a century ago have finally been buried.

Gunner Charles Lightfoot and Sergeant John Smith died two months after the war began.

They were killed during the Battle of Aisne in France in September 1914, but their bodies were not found until 15 years ago.

Gunner Lightfoot’s granddaughter, Sue Kruk, traveled from Hayling Island, Hampshire, to France for the military funeral ceremony in their honour.

Sue Kruk reads the 1914 letter found in her grandmother's box of belongings — Sue Kruk still has a box of things from her grandmother Netty Lightfoot (BBC)

Sue Kruk reads the 1914 letter that was in her grandmother's box of belongings — Sue Kruk still has a box of things from her grandmother Netty Lightfoot (BBC)

In 2009, French historian Jerome Buttet was researching war graffiti in a cave near Chassemy when he discovered a makeshift grave with an inscription.

It read: “15th September 1914, here lie Sjt Smith and 3 Gnrs, 29th Battery RFA.”

Mr Buttet called in archaeologists, who discovered two sets of remains in the cave.

Ministry of Defence (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 Royal Field Artillery.

Cave drawings read: "September 15, 1914, here lie Sjt Smith and 3 Gnrs, 29th Battery RFA" — The cave inscription discovered by Jerome Buttet (Jerome Buttet)

Cave carvings read: "September 15 1914, here lie Sjt Smith and 3 Gnrs, 29th Battery RFA" — The cave inscription discovered by Jerome Buttet (Jerome Buttet)

Mrs. Kruk still has a box of her grandmother Netty Lightfoot’s belongings. 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 killing in action.”

Mrs. Lightfoot was pregnant when her husband left for France.

“It was so hard for women in World War I,” says Mrs. 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.”