A man's quest to gain recognition for a fallen World War I soldier has been rewarded with a plaque in the French village where he died.
Pte Henry Bellamy of Bedminster, Bristol, fought with the North Somerset Yeomanry at the Battle of Arras in 1917, but was drowned while swimming in the river when his unit was pulled back from the front line.
James Clements from Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire, found Pte Bellamy's grave at Nempont-Saint-Fermin, France, while researching his own great-grandfather, who served in the same regiment, and was able to locate one of his distant relatives.
On Tuesday, Pte Bellamy was officially honored with a plaque and small ceremony in the village where he was buried.
“It was a really wonderful tribute,” Mr Clements said.
The plaque is located next to Henry Bellamy's grave in northern France. [James Clements]
Mr Clements initially hoped to find Pte Bellamy's family, but when he discovered there were no close relatives left alive, he decided to tell the soldier's story more broadly instead.
“I researched his trip abroad in 1915, his service with the North Somerset Yeomanry and ultimately the circumstances of his death,” he explained.
Among Mr Clement's discoveries was a letter written by his own great-grandfather, Richard James Dufty, which described the final moments of Pte Bellamy's life.
What he didn't realize was that his grave had already attracted attention two decades ago.
In the early 2000s, a visitor to France wrote about this in the Bristol Evening Post. One reader, Doreen Heal, recognized the names of Pte Bellamy's parents – her great-grandmother was Henry's aunt.
In 2002, Ms Heal's niece Chris Price, who lived in France, wrote to the village asking for more information but never received a response.
A letter from Grandfather Clements details the circumstances of Pte Bellamy's death. [James Clements]
Mr Clements visited the grave in September 2023 and found it to be the only British or Commonwealth war grave at Nempont-Saint-Fermin.
Before leaving, he placed a laminated copy of his grandfather's diary entry on the gravestone. This passage was later discovered and given to the city's mayor, who in turn discovered Ms Price's original letter in the local archives.
The village decided that Pte Bellamy's grave should be officially marked with a plaque and a small ceremony.
Schoolchildren read poetry at the opening on Tuesday, which was attended by about 50 people, including Ms Price and Mr Clements.
“It's great to know that Henry is still remembered more than 100 years later,” Mr Clements said.
“When I first started researching it, I thought no one remembered it.”
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