53728: Handmade card - In Memoriam John Dunnett
I purchased this hand made card on Ebay three years ago. It commemorates Private John Dunnett and has a very small picture of his face which appears to be newsprint and an attempt has been made to hand colour it. It is also decorated with small pieces of British stamps of the time to colour his uniform and to depict the King. It says "Somewhere in France" but he is listed as buried in Belgium by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Pte. 33339 John Dunnett, 1st/4th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment, died 18th October 1917, aged 19. The son of John and Jessie Dunnett, of 24, Royal Terrace, Wilsden, Bradford, Yorks, he is buried in Potijze Chateau Lawn Cemetery.
Editor's Comment:
Note that the card bears a French postage stamp, but that the uniform of Pte. Dunnett is made of George V 'Three Halfpence' stamps. The card was most likely made by a friend in France who knew of Pte. Dunnett's death (perhaps through the Newspaper from which the picture is cut) but not the particulars.
The 1st/4th Bn., as part of the 49th (West Riding) Division, was takng part in the Third Battle of Ypres, and had attacked Poelcapelle on the 9th October in preperation for the First Battle of Passchendaele.