An old army veteran was searching for army medals on a market bric-a-brac stall when he spotted an old bugle.
Despite being dirty and tarnished, he paid £5 for it.
But when 73 year old Maurice Green took the bugle home and cleaned it, he uncovered the army service number of the original owner which was issued before the Battle of the Somme on July 1st, 1916.
He then realised that the service number was that of his grandfather, Daniel Clay.
On the first day of the battle, which saw the British Empire and France pitched against Germany, 26 year old Drummer Clay sounded out the charge as 703 of the Eighth Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment leapt from their trenches.
All but 68 of the men perished, including Private Clay. His body was never found among the thousands slaughtered.
Mr Green, a grandfather of three, added: 'It is an unbelievable story and I think my grandfather's bugle made the journey home after being picked up on the battlefield by one of the few survivors from his battalion.'
The British Empire suffered 432,000 casualties in the battle, over 350,000 of them British. The French suffered 200,000 casualties and the Germans suffered 465,000.
Old soldier buys battered bugle from market stall... and finds it was used by his grandfather in Battle of the Somme
By Daily Mail Reporter
18th November 2010
Daily Mail
Old soldier Maurice Green was searching for army medals on a market stall when he spotted a battered old bugle piled among junk.
The dented instrument on the bric-a-brac stand was badly tarnished and covered in dirt, yet the 73-year-old was transfixed and promptly handed over £5.
When Mr Green returned home and set to work cleaning the bugle, he uncovered the army service number of the original owner which was issued before the Battle of the Somme on July 1st, 1916.
And he was stunned when he realised the service number was that of his grandfather, Daniel Clay.
Lucky find: A bugle used during the Battle of Somme has been found on a bric-a-brac stand by a man who later discovered it belonged to his grandfather
On that fateful day Drummer Clay, a 26-year-old sounded out the charge as 703 of the Eighth Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment leapt from their trenches. It was the first day of the battle and over the next few hours all but 68 of the men perished, including Private Clay. His body was never found among the thousands slaughtered.
Retired engineer Mr Green of Rotherham said: 'I was in the army in the 1950s and I decided to go to the local market to look for army medals from the battalions I served alongside.
'I spotted this battered old bugle on a bric-a-brac stand. It was as black as soot but I noticed its army service number had the same first three digits as my granddad's.
'I couldn't see the last two digits because the bugle was filthy and covered with years of grime. But something in me started shaking straight away.
'I just wondered if it could be the bugle my granddad played at the Somme. But then I thought that would be impossible, it was too much of a coincidence.
'But it was only £5 so I decided to buy it. I took it straight home, began cleaning it and was stunned when the last two digits corresponded to my granddad's army service number.
'No service number was ever issued twice within a battalion and the five digit number was taken out of use after World War One so it seems certain this was the bugle my granddad played at the Somme.
Bloodshed: Somme witnessed one of the most brutal battles of the War and cost Britain 432,000 dead or injured
'The buglers weren't issued with two bugles and soldiers aren't in the business of losing their equipment so I am convinced this was the one he would have had in the trenches.
'That would also explain why, when other items were returned to the family, the bugle remained missing.'
Mr Green, a grandfather of three, added: 'It is an unbelievable story and I think my grandfather's bugle made the journey home after being picked up on the battlefield by one of the few survivors from his battalion.
'They were a Rotherham unit and it will have been picked up as a memento . I asked the stallholder where he bought it from and he said it came from a house clearance but he couldn't remember when or where he got the bugle.
'The important thing is that it has ended up back in the right hands in the end, in my granddad's family where it belongs.'
Drummer Clay's name was one of 73,000 placed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme in France. His daughter Harriet, Mr Green's mother, was just six year' old when he perished.
His wife, also Harriet, had died giving birth and the baby was brought up by her grandparents.
'It would have been nice if we had found the bugle while my mother was still alive but she was so proud of him , as we all are,' Mr Green said.
Drummer Clay's bugle was played again at the Remembrance service in Rotherham when the Last Post was sounded.
dailymail.co.uk
Despite being dirty and tarnished, he paid £5 for it.
But when 73 year old Maurice Green took the bugle home and cleaned it, he uncovered the army service number of the original owner which was issued before the Battle of the Somme on July 1st, 1916.
He then realised that the service number was that of his grandfather, Daniel Clay.
On the first day of the battle, which saw the British Empire and France pitched against Germany, 26 year old Drummer Clay sounded out the charge as 703 of the Eighth Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment leapt from their trenches.
All but 68 of the men perished, including Private Clay. His body was never found among the thousands slaughtered.
Mr Green, a grandfather of three, added: 'It is an unbelievable story and I think my grandfather's bugle made the journey home after being picked up on the battlefield by one of the few survivors from his battalion.'
The British Empire suffered 432,000 casualties in the battle, over 350,000 of them British. The French suffered 200,000 casualties and the Germans suffered 465,000.
Old soldier buys battered bugle from market stall... and finds it was used by his grandfather in Battle of the Somme
By Daily Mail Reporter
18th November 2010
Daily Mail
Old soldier Maurice Green was searching for army medals on a market stall when he spotted a battered old bugle piled among junk.
The dented instrument on the bric-a-brac stand was badly tarnished and covered in dirt, yet the 73-year-old was transfixed and promptly handed over £5.
When Mr Green returned home and set to work cleaning the bugle, he uncovered the army service number of the original owner which was issued before the Battle of the Somme on July 1st, 1916.
And he was stunned when he realised the service number was that of his grandfather, Daniel Clay.
Lucky find: A bugle used during the Battle of Somme has been found on a bric-a-brac stand by a man who later discovered it belonged to his grandfather
On that fateful day Drummer Clay, a 26-year-old sounded out the charge as 703 of the Eighth Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment leapt from their trenches. It was the first day of the battle and over the next few hours all but 68 of the men perished, including Private Clay. His body was never found among the thousands slaughtered.
Retired engineer Mr Green of Rotherham said: 'I was in the army in the 1950s and I decided to go to the local market to look for army medals from the battalions I served alongside.
'I spotted this battered old bugle on a bric-a-brac stand. It was as black as soot but I noticed its army service number had the same first three digits as my granddad's.
'I couldn't see the last two digits because the bugle was filthy and covered with years of grime. But something in me started shaking straight away.
'I just wondered if it could be the bugle my granddad played at the Somme. But then I thought that would be impossible, it was too much of a coincidence.
'But it was only £5 so I decided to buy it. I took it straight home, began cleaning it and was stunned when the last two digits corresponded to my granddad's army service number.
'No service number was ever issued twice within a battalion and the five digit number was taken out of use after World War One so it seems certain this was the bugle my granddad played at the Somme.
Bloodshed: Somme witnessed one of the most brutal battles of the War and cost Britain 432,000 dead or injured
'The buglers weren't issued with two bugles and soldiers aren't in the business of losing their equipment so I am convinced this was the one he would have had in the trenches.
'That would also explain why, when other items were returned to the family, the bugle remained missing.'
Mr Green, a grandfather of three, added: 'It is an unbelievable story and I think my grandfather's bugle made the journey home after being picked up on the battlefield by one of the few survivors from his battalion.
'They were a Rotherham unit and it will have been picked up as a memento . I asked the stallholder where he bought it from and he said it came from a house clearance but he couldn't remember when or where he got the bugle.
'The important thing is that it has ended up back in the right hands in the end, in my granddad's family where it belongs.'
Drummer Clay's name was one of 73,000 placed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme in France. His daughter Harriet, Mr Green's mother, was just six year' old when he perished.
His wife, also Harriet, had died giving birth and the baby was brought up by her grandparents.
'It would have been nice if we had found the bugle while my mother was still alive but she was so proud of him , as we all are,' Mr Green said.
Drummer Clay's bugle was played again at the Remembrance service in Rotherham when the Last Post was sounded.
dailymail.co.uk
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