Teacher’s emotional trip to World War One battlefields

Having been brought up hearing the tales of his great uncle’s bravery and valour, Leeds East Academy teacher Lee Buccilli was able to finally mark the memorial site that pays tribute to Private Carmine Risi on Sunday.

The late Leeds soldier of Italian descent, who served in the Highland Light Infantry, was known by his anglicised name of Galla Rice and was among over 9,000 men killed during the advance to victory in Picardy and Artois, France, in 1918. Pte Rice, who was just 28 when he died, has no known grave.

Mr Buccilli, who lives in Wortley, became the first member of his family to lay a wreath near the site of his great uncle’s death – an act that brought up emotions having served five years with the Royal Corps of Signals himself before becoming a teacher.

The 44-year-old was among 25 Yorkshire teachers travelling with two students each on a Government-funded Centenary Battlefield Tour (CBT) of France and Belgium when he realised his relative’s memorial was in reach.

He said: “I knew I had two family members that had been killed in the First World War and this was the guy I had always heard about, so I delved deeper.

“I’m quite surprised about how emotional it is because when I was in the army myself I lost mates.” He added: “It brings it home, even though this is me and not them, I have got two students here and they know me. I just think anything as powerful as this is self evident and shows it’s not just another name.”

As part of the CBT programme two pupils and one teacher from every state-funded secondary school in the country are being invited on free First World War battlefield tours until 2019.

The £5million scheme, which is led by the Institute of Education and tour operator Equity, is part of the Government’s commitment to commemorating the victims of the conflict 100 years on.