ON April 23 1917 my Great Uncle, Private Edward Stanley, of the 1st/7th Battalion of the Black Watch was killed in action at the Battle of Arras.

As a token of remembrance I would like to share the story of Uncle Eddie, my paternal grandmother's big brother.

Lumphinnans boy Edward, a miner, was a volunteer with two older brothers,a younger brother and his wee sister, my gran, fighting on several different fronts.

The Battle of Arras had been going on for 14 days when in what has been described as one of the most ferocious and bloody aspects of the battle, his regiment were battling to re-take the Chemical Works in a small village called Fampoux, with hostilities on that morning starting at 04.45am.

The chemical works were of prime importance to both sides with it being taken and re-taken on numerous occasions.

Sadly Uncle Eddie lost his life that fateful day, a single man, he was only 23 years-old. Tragically within 17 months his younger brother John would also become one of 900,000 souls lost.

According to my gran, my greatgrandmother never locked her door again and lovingly laid out his pit clothes and boots for both of them, always hoping that one day the door would open and both would walk in.

I visited both graves in 2003, Uncle Eddie's at Brown's Copse near Roux, and John's at Hermies Hill British Cemetery between Baupaume and Cambrai.

The endless rows of white headstones, in the beautifully kept Commonwealth War Graves, hammers home the futility of war, although at least they were afforded the dignity of being identified and given a Christian burial, not afforded to tens of thousands of their comrades. 'Forever Remembered'.

B MOFFAT,

Derran Drive,

Cardenden.