FAMILY of a forgotten soldier laid to rest almost exactly 100 years from his valiant death attended his "poignant" remembrance service.
Private John Richmond, of Radford, was buried with full military honours at the Y- Farm Cemetery near Lille last Wednesday October 22 along with fourteen other First World War soldiers.
The son of a lace worker died on October 18 1914, aged 28, under heavy machine gun fire as his 2nd Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment were sent to take the French village of Radinghem.
Great nephew Barrie Richmond, of Linwood Crescent in Ravenshead, travelled to France with sister Janet Allen, who now lives in Sheffield, and around 140 members of various soldiers' families.
Mr Richmond said: "It was really quite poignant on the day - really emotional. It was a chance to pay our respects to our great uncle, who we never knew, that lost his life for his country."
The skirmish saw Pte Richmond's regiment run into enemy forces near the hamlet of Beaucamp Ligny, where 93 were wounded and 34 killed.
Of the 15 soldiers who were found in 2009, 11 had been identified by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Ministry of Defence.
Close family members were tight-lipped about John, and Barrie had never heard of him until his oldest sister, Joan Jones, researched the family tree. He was one of thirteen siblings, only seven of whom lived into adulthood.
"The timing was as if it was meant to be," said Mrs Jones, 81, of Belper Avenue, Carlton. "Although the whole conflict seems rather pointless, I'm glad he is at rest at last."
The siblings said they found it tough to choose a personal inscription for Pte Richmond's grave, having never known him.
It reads: "He fell and was lost but now he is found. Rest in peace at last. His life given so that we might be free."
After learning that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was looking into who these 15 unknown soldiers were, Barrie gave a DNA sample to find prove it was John beyond doubt.
"It's just amazing that so close to 100 years on we've been able to pay our respects," said Barrie. "I've got grandchildren now and they will be able to visit this grave in years to come and so will many generations of our family."
Following confirmation of the DNA check, printed in The Post in March, Barrie was contacted by more distant relatives he was unaware of.
Pauline Clay, of Newark, and her son Richard have now met Barrie after realising that Pauline's great grandfather Miles was Pte John Richmond's brother.
"I'm very pleased that we've been able to bring family back together," said Barrie.
Peter Francis, spokesman for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, said: "It was an incredibly moving ceremony and I felt privileged to be there with the families as five years of detailed investigative work concluded with the reburial with full military honours in one of our war cemeteries.
"It reminds you that behind every single one of these headstones is a human story and a human tragedy."
