Bristol war grave sparks search for living relatives

Harry Dunn is buried at Arnos Vale cemetery in Bristol

Historians have appealed for living relatives of a serviceman to come forward after the discovery of his grave at a Bristol cemetery.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission recently created a new headstone for Harry Dunn at Arnos Vale in Bristol.

Although narrowed down to a couple of metres, the exact location of his grave could not be confirmed.

The headstone is inscribed: "Buried near this spot."

Now historians are looking for any known relatives to come forward.

Simon Bendry from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission said they have managed to gather a fair bit of information about Mr Dunn.

He said: "Harry enlisted in 1915 into the South Midland Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, which was part of the territorial force.

"He served in France and Belgium on the Western Front up until the end of 1917, when the division he was serving with transferred to Italy.

"He served as a driver, so he was one of those responsible for driving the horses that moved the artillery guns and wagons around on the battlefields."

Simon Bendry from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Mr Dunn returned home to the Brislington area of Bristol at the start of 1919, but died of pneumonia only a month later.

As he was still in service when he died, he was eligible for a Commonwealth War Graves headstone as a World War One casualty.

"So in recent weeks we've been able to discover a reasonable amount about Harry," said Mr Bendry.

Mr Dunn was born in Brislington and was one of eight children. During World War One, he gave his next of kin as his uncle living at in Sandwich Road, in Brislington.

"His uncle Albert Keepin died tragically in a work-related incident in 1916 but even on discharge in 1919 Mr Dunn gave his permanent address as that of his aunt and uncle in Sandwich Road.

"So we know that he had that very strong connection.

"The records we, as an organisation hold, give no further next of kin information, and therefore the whole story as to why Harry's grave was not marked at the time, and why it's taken 100 years to do so is one that we're starting to unpick," Mr Bendry added.

Research to date has not revealed any further married names, from the sisters Harry had in the early 1920s.

"We know sister Alice had a connection with Newport in Monmouthshire. We know that another brother had emigrated to Canada," Mr Bendry said.

"But then there are the rest of the family who still have that sort of Bristol connection, as far as we can see.

"So any connections with the Dunn family, or people who feel that they have that connection to the Dunn family. Those are the people we're looking to engage with."

Anyone who thinks they may have a family link is being asked to contact the commission via their website.

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