We must never forget the sacrifices made by the Second World War generation

Lieutenant Henry Sutton of the Royal Regiment of Scotland lays a wreath at the newly identified grave of Corporal Gilbert Nay Hamilton in Catania war cemetery (Picture: Ministry of Defence) | PA

In July 1943, a 22-year-old man from Lanarkshire, Gilbert Nay Hamilton, was killed near Gerbini in Sicily during the Second World War. He was hastily buried close to where he fell and, the following year, his remains were moved to a war cemetery, where he was recorded as an unidentified corporal of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

However, thanks to research by his great-grand-nephew, Corporal Hamilton’s remains have now been identified, enabling a headstone with his name to be added to his grave and a service of rededication, attended by his relatives.

Alexia Clark, of the Ministry of Defence’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, who confirmed the research’s accuracy, said: “We have finally been able to restore Gilbert’s name to him and his military family have been here to honour his sacrifice.”

It is a tragedy that this young man died more than 2,000 miles away from his home because of an evil dictator bent on imposing his tyranny on Europe. But, in today’s deeply troubling times, we must remember that sometimes wars need to be fought if freedom is to be preserved.