Remains of two WW2 British soldiers identified
SALERNO-- It has taken 74 years to finally learn the identity of a young English soldier killed near Salerno during the Second World War. On Feb. 20, 2014 volunteers of the Salerno 1943 association (Luigi Fortunato, Pierpaolo Irpino, Angelo Martucciello, Matteo Pierro and Gigino Vitolo) identified the remains of two English soldiers on a hill in the Pellezzano district.
The British authority was able to compare the DNA of the found bones to those of the soldier’s parents to prove that the remains belonged to Ronald George Blackham, a Lance Corporal in the 3rd battalion of the Coldstream Guards. He was killed at the age of just 22 in the hamlet of Capezzano during the course of the battle that took place between Sept. 22 and 24 in 1943. The goal of the battle was to take and hold Hill 270.
During the delicate work in the area another discovery was made.
“It is very possible that the other body of a soldier we discovered belonged to a minor”, said the head of the association, Luigi Fortunato.
"That is the theory according to analysis of the skeleton’s teeth and the wear of his bones. Therefore, the boy must have been between the ages of 16 and 18 when he was killed. What’s interesting about this find is that per the records of the regiment in question, the youngest soldier in their ranks at the time was 19 years old. We have reason to believe that he falsified his age to enlist. On March 16 Ronald George Blackham’s surviving relatives, his brother and sister, will arrive at the scenes although attempts to locate the young man’s wife have proven futile."
In this case, the Salerno 1943 association will return what few personal objects could be salvaged from the skeleton.
The remains of the soldier shall be laid to rest in the Salerno English military cemetery. The state funeral, to be held on March 16, will not only be attended by the soldier’s family but a delegation of the British authority and military representatives. During their searches, the Salerno 1943 association have managed to unearth the remains of six other soldiers (three Germans, two English and one American).
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