Research into D-Day soldier brings family together

The family of a D-Day soldier has been reunited thanks to the efforts of a man researching his family tree.

Warwickshire re-enactor Jason Woods discovered last year he was related to Pte George Brueton, who died in Normandy two weeks after the landings.

He created a memorial which was seen by the daughters of Pte Brueton's sister, Doreen, when it was featured on BBC Midlands Today.

Further research by Mr Woods then led to her being reunited with her sister Beryl, who she had not seen for 60 years.

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Mr Woods was inspired to create the memorial close to Lébisey Wood, where his grandfather's second cousin fell.

He said he wanted his sacrifice, and that of 153 other members of the regiment, to be remembered.

Doreen (centre) was told about Mr Woods' TV appearance by her daughters Lyn and Sue

When he appeared on BBC Midlands Today to tell the story, he was seen by Pte Brueton's nieces, Lyn and Sue.

Sue said: "We'd just had our tea and the television was on, the news, and up flashed this lovely photograph and I said 'that's George' to my husband."

With the help of her sister they confirmed it was their uncle and Mr Woods said: "Within 10 minutes of the interview going out live, my phone pinged with a message via Facebook."

Jason Woods got a message from the sisters after appearing on BBC Midlands Today

It was the sisters, who then put him in touch with their mother, Doreen.

He said: "I'd no idea of any close family members being still alive, so I was speechless for about 20 minutes."

They met up two months later and he said they "told me stories about him and everything".

Doreen kept a number of photos of her brother, George, including this one of the pair together

Pte Brueton had signed up with the British Expeditionary Force at the start of the war, aged just 19 and was one of the soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk.

He later took part in the D-Day landings, but was killed on 24 June 1944.

Lyn said her mother "used to talk about him, because we've got quite a few photographs of him and he was the only boy".

A further surprise was to come last year, when Mr Woods discovered another lost relation - Doreen's sister Beryl.

They were able to meet up not long before Doreen's death, and Lyn said the meeting had been "very, very emotional".

Doreen's sister's said the reunion with Beryl had been 'very, very emotional

The pair had not seen each other since they were in their 20s, more than 60 years ago.

As a thank you, the sisters presented Mr Woods with First World War medals belonging to Pte Brueton's father.

Mr Woods said he had been "very nervous" to accept them, but said they would now be displayed next to Pte Brueton's.