War grave reburial for serviceman

Kyt · Feb 21, 2008

BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | War grave reburial for serviceman

The wish of the 100th British serviceman to die in action in Iraq has been fulfilled after he was reburied alongside other fallen war heroes.

Second Lieutenant Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke, 24, from Hove in Sussex, was killed in Basra in February 2007.

His family were told he could not be buried in the military section of Hove Cemetery as it was for WWII troops.

But the Commonwealth War Graves Commission reversed its decision and he was reburied in a special service.

A lone bugler sounded as his relatives gathered round his new resting place on Wednesday.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission ruled that Lt Bracho-Cooke's body could be exhumed and moved to a plot within the military section, following representations from his family.

Speaking before the reburial, his father, Jonathan Cooke, said: "We are pleased that Jonathan can be buried in an area where we feel he deserves to be, having died serving his country.

"We would have liked not to have gone through this. It has been traumatic but we are pleased that the powers have decided Jonathan can be buried in the military section."

His grave is located in an area behind the second row of war graves designated to accommodate non-World War graves.

It will be maintained by the commission on behalf of the MoD to the same standard as the other military graves in the plot.

Lt Bracho-Cooke revealed that he wanted to be buried next to fallen military personnel after visiting a war cemetery in Burma in 2006.

The serviceman, who was from the 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was on patrol in Basra when a roadside bomb was detonated on 5 February.
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spidge · Feb 21, 2008

I certainly do not have a problem with this!

Antipodean Andy · Feb 21, 2008

He deserves to be honoured just as much.

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War grave reburial for serviceman

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