My sincere thanks to the students of ST Monica’s in Cairns and especially to Jade who read the Eulogy service in Steenwerck France, a few weeks ago for Ernest Ainscow.  Ernest died at the age of 19 in WW1 in Steenwerck France – My poppy now lies at his grave in France with my message – “You didn’t make it back to your beloved Cairns Ernest, so today a little piece of Cairns has come to you in the form of this poppy. Made with Australian clay, Australian materials and made with love by the granddaughter of your dear Uncle John who fought bravely beside you. It is placed at your graveside by the hands of the students of St Monica’s Cairns. I am eternally grateful that they have come to visit your grave today to lay this small token of my respect for your sacrifice and the sacrifice of all the soldiers and their families (especially our Cairns boys).” Lest We Forget.

Thank you also to the people of France who I understand tend the gravesites of our Australian Soldiers in France. I was told the cemeteries are “very beautiful and well kept, like all the other Australian resting areas.”

Debby