South Yorkshire Times, December 29th, 1951

Flowers for Son’s Grave

French Gift to Bolton Mother

Mrs. Harriet Law, 19, Church Street, Bolton, who has returned from a visit to the grave of her son, 26-year-old Ernest Law, who was killed in France on June 17th, 1944, said this week: “It was a sight I shall never forget.”

Mrs. Law travelled to France with her sister, Mrs. L. James, Clough Road, Hoyland, and stayed for two nights at an hotel in Caen a few miles from St. Manvieu Cemetery where her son is buried.

Before visiting the cemetery Mrs. Law went to buy some flowers to place on Ernest’s grave. As she had no knowledge of French, she had some difficulty in explaining to the flower-seller what she wanted but when the saleswoman understood that they were for her dead son’s grave, she thrust a whole armful of flowers into Mrs. Law’s arms and refused to take a penny for them.

Mrs. Law said that the grave was well cared for and had a lovely rambling red rose tree by it.” She has brought home with her some soil from the grave and two flowers, which she hopes she will be able to plant.

Mrs. Law and her sister crossed the channel from Newhaven to Dieppe and had four train journeys before reaching Caen. Mrs. Law was helped financially by the British Legion. Pte. Law joined the Army with the first batch of Militia and served with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. He was killed a few days after sailing for France after a home leave in England. This leave followed service in Iceland. He was married with one child, and his wife, Mabel, and 11-years-old daughter, Mary live in a farmhouse opposite Mrs. Law’s home.