06 July 2023
Letters from the Front: The story of Private Graham Nye
Commonwealth War Graves Foundation member Lindsey Lawrence shares the heartbreaking story of her uncle Private Graham Nye.
Over to you Lindsay.
Private Graham Nye
Graham was born in Essex and began working with his father, James, who was a joiner.
He was the only sibling (older brother by 5 years) to my Mum, Phyllis, who sadly passed in August 2022.
Graham was musical and played the violin. He insisted on paying a shilling a week from his wages for his little sister, my mum, to have a “proper” piano lesson.
When Graham was 18, he was listed to the Royal Hampshire Regiment, 7th Battalion.
Mum remembers getting a train to the North of England with her parents to see Graham before he was sent overseas.
This was the last time the family saw him.
Graham wrote letters. In the letter I have shared here, Graham refers to a lovely family who cooked him and his comrade a lovely meal.
Graham's handwritten letters tell of his exploits overseas.
In another letter, Graham refers to a famous boxing match that was taking place in England. He could not listen to it live on the wireless as he was on guard duty.
Sadly, Graham mentions in his letter he would like to bring his family to Paris one day.
The last letter Graham's parents would receive from their son.
Within a few weeks of sending this particular letter, Graham was killed.
My mum recalls her parents receiving a telegram to say Graham had been killed from a gunshot wound on the 30th of September 19434
Graham is buried in the Commonwealth Graveyard in Brussels, Belgium.
His mother was never able to visit this resting place in her lifetime. Graham’s father visited the grave along with my father before his father passed away.
Graham’s parents chose the wording on the gravestone:
“Sadly missed
We never will
Forget his footsteps
And his everloving face”
I found it an incredibly moving experience when I visited Graham's resting place. The graves were beautifully tended to, and I was honoured to leave some flowers on behalf of my Mum and family.
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All images in this article were kindly supplied by Lindsey Lawrence and used with Lindsay’s permission.