The picture

German soldier sent family photo he found on British private’s body to his relatives in WW1

THE relatives of a German soldier who returned a photo he found on the body of a fallen Tommy have finally learnt of his act of kindness, over a century later.

Gefreiter [Cpl] Josef Wilczek took the black-and-whitepicture from the hands of Pte Percy Buck, who fell on the Western Front in 1917.

The image was of the soldier’s family, including his wife, Bertha, and young son, Cyril.

On the back of the snap was a note asking the finder to post it to his loved ones if he died.

Gefr Wilczek sent the photo to the Red Cross, along with a letter. It read: “I, wishing to fulfil the last will of the dead comrade, send it to you. May he rest in peace.” Now, a British historian, Dan Hill, has tracked the family of Gefr Wilczek.

His granddaughter, Ewa Pikulinska, 43, said: “To hear of what my grandfather did was a real surprise. We are very proud to have learned a little more about his war and the kindness he showed to the family of a fallen comrade.”

Mr Hill also discovered that Pte Buck’s widow wrote to Gefr Wilczek’s family to thank them, after receiving the photo.

Two months after

Pte Buck’s death,

Gefr Wilczek was held in a Scottish POW camp. Later, he returned to his home town, now called Makoszowy and part of Poland. He died in 1983, aged 86.

Pte Buck was 26 when he was killed in Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium, serving with the Hertfordshire Regiment. His granddaughter, Christine Reynolds, 62, who lives in Hitchen, Herts, found the photo in 2014.

Mrs Reynolds said: “This German soldier didn’t have to take the time out and maybe risk punishment to fulfil my grandfather’s wishes. It was very kind of him.”

THE GERMAN