Tuesday November 11, 2008

We celebrated the 2008 Remembrance Day a bit differently this year. We had offered to video the Milton Legion Parade and Service, which we did and is available on DVD for those that want a copy.

In the process of preparing for Remembrance Day 2008, we also gave some additional thought to Private Lachlan James Kingsbury #663268 who was all alone at the Ebenezer Cemetery (North Milton) and not a beneficiary of the wreaths and service the other Milton Soldiers had experienced for years. We decided to have the Legion prepare and extra wreath, which the Laughton Family placed at his Grave Site on Remembrance Day. Just as we arrived the cold wind and wet snow arrived, just as many of the men may have faced in the trenches of France and Flanders.

We then went back to Evergreen Cemetery in Milton to pay our respects to our Great War Soldiers who rested there: Corporal William Maddocks #30222; Private William James Allan #141847; Private Harold James Dent #511217; Private Alfred James Evans #663090 and Private Edmund Adolphus Cooper #3112559.

As we have noted on the web site, Private Evans is a unique member of the "Soldier's Club" as he died of his wounds in 1925, thus he is not commemorated at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. That is their rules, not ours, it was not his fault he died to late to be added to the list. In the end he is commemorated, for if you now go to the CWGC web site it is the grave site of Private Evans that is shown as the photo for the Evergreen Cemetery! (click to see photo here). If you don't tell, we won't!

Private Evans has a friend on the CWGC web site as we also submitted a photo of Private Kingsbury's grave for the Ebenezer Cemetery (click to see photo here).