Student's tribute to her unknown soldier

Jun 20 2007

A STUDENT from Smethwick who "adopted" an unknown soldier who died in World War I is to read out a poem to the Queen.

Laura McLintic, aged 20, takes part in a ceremony next month to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele, in Belgium, which is to be commemorated by the Queen at Tyne Cot Cemetery, near Ypres.

Seven years ago Laura, now a Wolverhampton University education student, visited a cemetery on the Flanders battlefield with her school, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, in Horncastle, Lincs.

Each pupil had been handed a remembrance cross to place on a grave that had a particular meaning to them, but Laura did not know anyone buried there.

By using her date of birth, she chose an unmarked grave at random and placed her cross on top of it.

The experience moved her so much that she later wrote a poem in his honour.

The poem ends: "So thank you, unknown soldier, My comfort and my friend, You will be my continuity, Until my life is at an end."

Her verse has since been published. Laura said: "I went over to the First World War battlefields for the first time when I was 13.

"I didn't have any relatives so I decided to find an unknown soldier by using my birthday and I found this unknown soldier.

"I went to plot 21 as my birthday is on June 21 and then to Row F and it was the first unknown soldier.

"It was simply marked: 'A Soldier of the Great War - Known Unto God' and at that moment I gave my heart to him.

"It was an incredible experience to see all those graves and to realise how many had no names on them. They gave their lives to set me free and everyone else free."

The student said she was looking forward to reading her poem in front of royalty.

"I feel incredibly proud and a little bit terrified. It is a great honour."

The Queen is due to visit Tyne Cot on July 12.