Rare pen identifies WWI soldier

(from alt.obituaries)

17 January, 2005

Rare pen identifies WWI soldier

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

A researcher has identified a World War I soldier by a rare
fountain pen discovered by his body.
Peter Last, from Great Wakering in South Essex, discovered the
soldier was a postman through the pen, which was issued by a Post
Office newsletter.

Lance Corporal John Brown died in 1915, but only now has he
received a full military burial.

Mr Last said he was glad his efforts were a success for the sake
of John Brown's relatives.

Clues in newsletter

John Brown's and other soldiers' bodies were discovered in France
after some road widening operations, he said.

Mr Last said: "I have some friends in France and they emailed me
photographs of the bodies.

"I wrote a small article on it and then thought of contacting
the head Post Office in London; they've got a wonderful archive
section," he added.

The Post Office dug up old issues of the Postman's Federation, an
employee newsletter, and compared the published names of those
killed or wounded with those of Mr Last.

They discovered that John Brown appeared on both lists.

"Thanks to a rare fountain pen, the man's family will now be able
to visit his grave," Mr Last said.

"If the soldier had not been identified, he would have been
buried the same way as the other soldiers... as an anonymous
grave," he added.

Mr Last is chairman of the Southend branch of The Western Front
Association, a military research organisation based in
Buckinghamshire.