British Private John Tame, a soldier killed at 26 during World War I, received a formal burial 108 years after his death, as relayed by the New York Post. Roadworks near Ypres, Belgium, uncovered his remains in 2018.
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On Wednesday, soldiers laid him to rest at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's New Irish Farm Cemetery. The ceremony honored a soldier who fell in the Battle of Langemarck in August 1917.
The Ministry of Defence's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), dubbed the War Detectives, arranged the service. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles participated. Keith Brooks, Tame's great-nephew, attended and provided the DNA that confirmed Tame's identity.
A Family's Loss
Pte Tame served in the 2nd Battalion The Royal Berkshire Regiment. He died during the Third Battle of Ypres, where over 4,600 British Empire servicemen perished. His brothers, Lance Corporal Alfred Tame and Corporal William George Tame, died on May 9, 1915, at the Battle of Aubers Ridge. Their bodies remain missing, and the Ploegsteert Memorial commemorates them.
Brooks said the burial gave his great-uncle long-overdue recognition. "Family memories of John and his brothers were fading," he said. "This burial makes John's story vivid for future generations. The MOD's research made it possible."
Archaeologists found a Royal Berkshire Regiment cap badge and shoulder title near Tame's remains. A prior shoulder wound provided clues for DNA confirmation.
Soldier Remembered
Pte Tame, from Windsor, Berkshire, was the third-eldest of seven children. His brothers Alfred and William also joined the 2nd Battalion The Royal Berkshire Regiment. Their unit, stationed in India in 1914, reached the Western Front by November. On May 9, 2025, the 110th anniversary of Alfred and William's deaths, Tame's family and 2nd Battalion The Rifles members visited the Ploegsteert Memorial to honor the lost brothers.
Reverend Stephen Cassells, Chaplain to the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, led the burial. "I feel privileged to honor Pte Tame," he said. "This ceremony ensures his service endures."
JCCC Caseworker Rosie Barron praised the effort. "We worked with The Rifles to give Pte Tame a proper military funeral," she said. "Meeting Keith and his family was a highlight."
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission will care for Tame's grave forever. Caseworker David Royle said, "We helped identify Pte Tame and ensure his rest among comrades at New Irish Farm Cemetery."
