251828 Pte. Joseph Canetti British Army 1st Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment from:Sheffield (d.8th May 1917) My granddad, Joseph Canetti joined the 1st Battalion Barnsley Pals in 1914, he signed up in Sheffield.
He was killed in the 2nd Battle of Bullicourt on the 8th of May 1917 by machine gun fire while carrying wounded off the battlefield. My father was told that because he had an Italian name he could not carry a weapon so that's why he was a stretcher bearer.
When he was killed he had four very young children, my father was only seven years old, 18 months later his wife, my grandmother died in the flu epidemic.
My family went to visit his grave 5 years ago in France and I was shocked to see they had spelled his name wrong (Canett not Canetti). When we arrived back in England I spoke to my older brother about it and he said that when granddad joined the Army in 1914 they changed his name because he had an Italian name. My grandfather was born in England in 1886 and his mother and father where Italian.
And the Italians were on our side in the Great War. Also his medals have got the incorrect name on them.
|