Letter: We Were With Guildford, In Spirit, to Remember

Published on: 12 Nov, 2017
Updated on: 12 Nov, 2017

From Bibhas Neogi

In response to: Hundreds Attend Armistice Day Service Held at the Guildhall

We were there in spirit and we watched, in France, the remembrance service that took place in Albert Hall.

My wife Carolyn’s grandfather, Harry Branson, lost his life near Ypres on November 8th, 1914. He is buried in a small French town, Halluin, just across the border from Belgium.

Tom, his son, married Queenie Wheeler in St Xavier’s Church where they met at the choir practice. Tom never knew where his father was buried. We only found out that Harry was buried in Halluin about two years ago but sadly Tom had passed away in 2010.

Tom went to Ceylon, India and Burma in WWII and to Queenie’s immense delight and surprise came back to Guildford alive. Carolyn was born and brought up in Guildford where I met her in 1968 when the university moved to Guildford from Battersea.

We have visited Harry’s grave twice so far and Harry’s family grave in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, where he was when called to join the WWI army and sent to Ypres.

We are proud to have this Guildford connection and equally remember our happier days.