234017 Rfm Joseph John Marchant British Army 16th Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps from:London (d.24th Aug 1916) To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, I want to share with you a letter received by my great-grandparents in October 1916. It was from a complete stranger who had buried their son's body. My great-uncle Joe was 20 years old when he died on the Somme on August 24th 1916. His sister (my lovely Nan - Violet Eames nee Marchant) was 5 years old the day the telegram arrived and, all her life, she told me how she could still remember her mother's screams coming from the kitchen. He was S/15523 Rifleman Joseph John Marchant of the King's Royal Rifle Corps. He was one of 419, 654 British soldiers to die during the long battle. God bless every one of them. I'm so proud of him. The two letters found on him were to his parents and to his fiancee, Gracie Pennington. She grieved for him for over 20 years before she finally asked permission, of my great-grandparents, to marry.
From 1st Southern General Hospital, Kings Heath, Birmingham on 22/10/1916 P2078 Lance Corporal Ernest Norris of the Mounted Military Police writes
"Dear Friends, Just a few lines to tell you that on the 9th inst whilst I was crossing the battle field in France I saw a dead comrade laid some distance from the firing lines and he had been missed by the burying party. I looked in his pockets for his pay book to find out what he belonged to and found he was 15523 Joseph Marchant 16 KRR 9 Platoon. There was also two letters which he had wrote ready to be posted. One was to Mr & Mrs Marchant 59 Cowper Road Stoke Newington London and one to Miss Pennington 145 West Green Road Seven Sisters Road Tottenham London. I thought I had better write to you as you may not know what had become of your son. I may say that I buried him at night and made him a good grave. He had some photographs but I considered to put them in the poor lads grave as they had been spoilt with the rain. He must have been killed about six weeks or two months ago by his appearance and the dates on the letters he had written in his pay book. I didn't bury him in a cemetary as there was not one near and it was a risky job as the Germans had a clear view but the nearest village to his grave is Flers on the Somme district. I got a bullet wound the next morning at 8am and have been sent to this hospital. Friends I trust I have not brought any bad memories back to you but thought it was best to write to you as you would be wondering what had become of the poor boy. You have my deepest sympathy at your great loss. I remain yours respectfully Cpl E Norris PS I will furnish you with more information if you require it"
What a wonderfully generous act of humanity and bravery to risk his own life to bury a stranger and then to take the trouble to write to his family. I wish with all my heart I could thank him. I have tried, many times over the years, to trace his family but to no avail. I would love them to know what he did for my great-uncle.
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