A fine, stubborn drizzle hung over Bordighera as the St Paul’s massive turned out in force at the Commonwealth war cemetery, umbrellas up and Sunday best slowly wilting. Nobody grumbled: among those white headstones, a little rain felt a very small thing to bear.
The clergy, collectively speaking
We were blessed with clergy from our own Anglican fold and from our Catholic Italian brethren, which raised a question over coffee: what do you call a group of priests? The Book of St Albans (1486) obliges. Our Catholic friends were a discretion of priests; our Anglicans, a prudence of vicars. Both qualities were on show: nobody mentioned the weather during the prayers, and every vicar had brought an umbrella.
Those we remembered
Bordighera British Cemetery holds 72 Commonwealth burials from the First World War, most of them men and women who died at the 62nd General Hospital, posted here in 1918. On behalf of the Provence-Monaco Branch of the Royal British Legion, poppies were laid for five of them:
- Private Samuel Urayah Thompson, 6th Bn, British West Indies Regiment, died 26 April 1918 – laid by Jean-Christophe Mikail
- Private Charles Skeete, 10th Bn, British West Indies Regiment, died 7 November 1918, four days before the Armistice – laid by Martyn Porter
- Private A. Reid, 10th Bn, British West Indies Regiment, died 27 September 1918 – laid by Nick Birnie
- Staff Nurse Rachel Ferguson, QAIMNS, died 26 June 1918 – laid by Lt Col Mary Cardwell (late RAMC)
- Driver Rupal, Royal Garrison Artillery, British Indian Army, died 30 October 1918 – laid by Viren Patel
The three West Indian privates were among some 15,600 Caribbean volunteers, many of whom worked the docks at Taranto keeping British forces supplied. Rachel Ferguson, from Co. Londonderry, nursed in Salonika before coming to Italy, and died of pneumonia in her own hospital aged 31. Caribbean, Ulster, India: five lives that ended far from home in a gentle seaside town.
Thank you
Heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out on such a damp morning; to our clergy, Anglican and Catholic alike; to the Royal British Legion and our five poppy-layers; and to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who keep this corner of Liguria immaculate.
Same time next year
We hope to return next year, ideally with better weather. A word, though, on lunch. Russell took charge of choosing the restaurant, and it was, by universal agreement, a disaster. Those who politely declined to join him made the right call this time. Next year let’s all lunch together – on the strict condition that Russell is not allowed to choose the restaurant.
We will remember them.
