Man makes emotional journey to bury ashes of dad and brother at grandfather's war grave
A Teesside man made an emotional journey to bury the ashes of his dad and brother at his grandfather's war grave in Belgium.
Phil Nellis, made the journey to his grandad's grave at the Bus House Cemetery near Ypres in Belgium during a trip with fellow members of the Teesside Parachute Regiment Association, who went to Europe for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem.
Phil, 61, said he and his late brother, Stephen, had planned to take their dad, Alfred Nellis' ashes to Bus House Cemetery to be with his father, Sgt Herbert Nellis, a member of the 5th Battalion the Green Howards (TA) who was killed in action in 1940. However, sadly before the Hartlepool brothers got the chance to go together, Stephen died in February following a battle with cancer, aged 68. So, Phil fulfilled Stephen's wishes and took both sets of ashes.
Sgt Herbert Nellis was sent to war in December 1939 as part of the British Expeditionary Force to try and stop the German forces from invading France. Phil said when the allied forces where told to retreat and make their way to Dunkirk, Sgt Nellis was ordered to form a rear guard and slow the Germans down.
He said: "He was in D company which was anti-tanks but they had lost their equipment so he was now in charge of the mortars. His family in Scarborough got a telegraph stating that he had been wounded in action as they had found a wounded soldier with his great coat on. Later they received another telegraph saying that he had been killed on 28 May, 1940 aged 32."
Phil said 40 years ago he and Stephen, who both served with the 4th Parachute Regiment TA, wrote to the War Gravies Commission to try to locate their grandfather's grave and were told where it was.
Phil said: "We had planned to go to pay our respects but life commitments delayed us. However, when our father died 11 years ago, aged 82, we thought it would be a nice gesture to put his ashes in with his father who he had last seen when he was eight-years-old."
But, due to their mother's illness and then problems with Covid hitting, the trip got delayed. But, when the association started making plans for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem trip, the brothers decided this would be a good time to visit their grandfather's grave.
Phil said: "Stephen had been diagnosed with cancer so this was probably going to be last chance at going to grave. Just after Christmas this year Ste went in to hospital to start cancer treatment but unfortunately, he had complications and died in February.
"In Ste’s will he wished to have some of his ashes placed in the grave with my dad, Alfred, and Herbert. This we did.
"It was a very emotional time placing two of my family members with my grandfather and the branch members were fantastic in supporting me. After the small service we went to Ypres and laid a wreath at the Menin Gate."
During the trip some of Stephen's ashes were also scattered from a Dakota airplane during a parachute jump and the remaining ashes were scattered off Arnhem bridge.
Phil said: "Ste loved Arnhem and it was fitting that he could be laid to rest there."