The Weeping Window has drawn thousands of visitors to Hereford Cathedral. Among them is Jean Goode, who lives at Fownhope. Seeing the poppies was particularly poignant for her as it is only recently that she has been able to make a connection between her own family and Field Marshall Douglas Haig. He was one of those responsible for establishing the Haig Poppy Fund which later became part of the Royal British Legion’s fundraising work through its use of the iconic poppy.

Jean’s father, William Cratchley, joined the British Army in 1912, so was already in the army when war was declared, fortunately he survived the war but died in 1947, when Jean was about six years old. He left her mother with four children under the age of eight. For some reason Jean’s mother severed all contact with her husband’s family, so Jean never met her father’s brother, or his children.

It was not until Jean found an obituary for her father dated July 19th, 1947 that she realised that her dad had been a Flag Bearer to General Haig.

The obituary said: “The death of an old soldier, Mr William Walter Cratchley, 11 Hinton Avenue, Hereford occurred suddenly last week at the age of 54 years. Mr Cratchley served with the army both before and during the 1914-18 war when he was a Flag Bearer to General Douglas Haig, and saw service in France and India. During the last war he was a member of Mobile Platoon of the 3rd (Hereford City) City Battalion Home Guard.

“The funeral took place at St Martin’s Church. The coffin was draped in the Union Jack and was met at the church by representatives of the Old Contemptibles Assn and Members of the Home Guard. Some of his colleagues in the Old Contemptibles Assn also acted as Bearers.”

The obituary states that the chief mourners were Mrs S Cratchley, Mrs J T Cratchley, Mr and Mrs C Cratchley, Mr and Mrs L Messer and Mr J Cratchley.

Jean treasures a photograph showing General Haig inspecting the troops, alongside a Flag Bearer. Jean realises that the Flag Bearer pictured was probably not her father, but still can imagine him in this important role.

Jean knows that her father and his brother Charles were born in Leominster and that Charles also survived the war as he is listed as a mourner, Charles had two children, Gerald and Margaret, whom Jean has never met. She would love to know what happened to them or if there are any relatives still alive.

Another connection to The Poppies: Weeping Window in Hereford is the display inside the Cathedral which includes two letters written by Charles Cratchley from Libya. One says that Christmas Day 1915 was spent very quietly. Jean would love to know if these letters were written by her uncle.