Henry John Waylen was my grandmother's brother in law. He was a gardener. In 1914 at the outbreak of the first world war, he was sent to the Western Front. with his local Regiment, the Glosters . After a year or so, he was transferred to the Greek front line at Salonika fighting the Ottomans. In 1916 he was sent home with TB and he died in his early thirties in 1917 in the same week as his father. His mother died in the same year as well.
He was honoured to be given a military headstone,(it only took a hundred and one years to do it!) and one of my friends agreed to be present at the installation. I couldn't go for two reasons. I live in Australia, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission didn't tell me - they just sent me an email.
It's no big deal, but I would love a decent picture of his headstone, and as he was a gardener, I am sure he would have appreciated it if you could leave a flower on his grave to show he is not forgotten,
Like millions of other soldiers, he would have gone through unimaginable experiences and been scared witless,day after day.
So if you happen to be near Tewkesbury Cemetery, please, if you can, put a flower from your garden on his grave on my behalf.
He deserves so much more than a bare tombstone and an email.
Thanks.
John
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