As Remembrance Sunday approaches, the niece of a soldier who killed by a German sniper in Italy in 1944 has visited his grave - the first time a member of the family has in 40 years.
Private Leonard Andrew Dunstan of Lanner is remembered on the war memorial at the gate to Lanner Cemetery.
He was the fourth child of Sidney and Ethel Dunstan of Lanner; at the age of just 20 and only six weeks after arriving in Italy, he was killed by German sniper fire in June of 1944 at the Battle of Bolsena.
He is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave cemetery near Bolsena and this month his niece, Dawn Shute of Praa Sands, was able to visit and leave tributes at his grave; it was a deeply emotional visit, and far from straight forward.
The grave has been visited just once before, by Leonard’s sister Lorraine and her husband Ernie Bray, of Helston. That was exactly 40 years ago and Ernie remembers just how moving it was for Lorraine (now deceased) to visit her brother’s grave.
Dawn had done a great deal of “homework” in advance, ensuring how to locate the grave within a cemetery of 600 young men’s graves.
“Commonwealth” was an apt title for the cemetery which contains the graves of men from so many nations and services.
Leonard himself, though serving with the Hampshire Regiment, was with a South African armoured division when he lost his life.
Dawn has many cousins in Cornwall who would have loved to accompany her and who contributed to her research into their uncle’s past.
Following the bitter and drawn-out Battle of Monte Casino to the south of Rome the Germans withdrew and they made no other “stand” south of the city, rather they regrouped 70 miles to the north of Rome and engaged in the “tank” Battle of Bolsena in which Leonard was killed.
Dawn and her husband were recently on a coach tour of Italy and took a day out of Rome to find the grave.
It was a gruelling 14 hour expedition including three hikes, four trains and three buses into a volcanic crater and on to the banks of a beautiful lake.
It is a gloriously rural setting for the grave of a man from Lanner but there are few other parallels, surrounded by vines, olive and lemon groves in the rich volcanic soils.
The cemetery has its own bus stop and is lovingly tended and preserved.
Dawn and her husband say they received great kindness from the local population in accessing the isolated cemetery.
The grave was regaled with flags bearing the cross of St Piran and a small Celtic Cross was buried below the headstone to remain in perpetuity.
Dawn says she grew up hearing her mother’s and grandmother’s accounts of receiving the dreaded telegram from the War Office telling of Leonard’s death; she has always wanted to make this pilgrimage on behalf of the family. Now the Lanner War Memorial will forever seem just a little more real and poignant.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here