March Last Post

We welcomed the 1st Oxted Barrow Green Scouts to our ceremony today.

Our Individual Remembrance subject was Soldato (Private) Giuseppe Martino from Frosinone, 70 miles south-east of Rome, Service Number: 45914 of the Italian Army. He died 80 years ago on 3 March 1944.

Soldato Martino, an Italian Prisoner of War (though Italy had capitulated in September 1943 and joined the Allies the following month) was engaged with another Italian prisoner and a British squad on timber work in the Scottish county of Angus. The two Italians were not authorised to operate tractors, but while the other men were taking a break, Martino attempted to drive the tractor up a steep slope. The tractor overturned on top of Martino and killed him. He was aged about 23 years old.

He was originally buried in Scotland and his body was reinterred at Brookwood after the Second World War in the Italian plot 16, Lincoln Avenue, row C, grave 3.

We were very privileged to have Jess from Gordon’s School sound the Last Post and Reveille today in her very first ever public performance using a genuine bugle. Jess has sounded the Last Post for us in the past using a cornet and we hope to see her back again soon.

Peter Hills provided the words of wisdom and Paul McCue delivered the Individual Remembrance and poem.

Alan Lopez paraded the BLP Standard, Tom Milne the Union Flag and we had standards from the Artist’s Rifles, the Royal British Legion, Knaphill, Bisley and West End branch, the Woking Royal Naval Association and 1st Oxted Barrow Green Scouts.

We were grateful to 1st Oxted Barrow Green Scouts for laying a wreath and providing Scouts to say the Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph. Our Chairman Kevin Davis is an Explorer Scout Leader and was honoured to participate in the investiture of a young Scout into the group.

Thank you to Alan Meeks for providing the photos and especially the audio.