DAVID Moran of Locke St Warwick has just returned home from a visit to France's First World War battlefields, inspired by the story of his grandfather's sacrifice written in the Warwick Daily News on April 1 in a story of the "Dead Penny".

The visit was to pay homage to Lance Corporal Thomas Scott who made the Supreme Sacrifice on August 30, 1918, at Road Wood, near Clery, and is buried in the Peronne Communal Cemetery, France.

David's journey began when he took the opportunity to visit Italy with Tricia Dixon of ADFAS on a garden tour, before heading off to visit a former German Backpacker named Frank who had worked on Dave's property "Loloma", in 1982.

After two weeks in Italy, David spent some time with Frank and his family who live very close to the German-Dutch border, which was very close to Peronne where his grandfather lies.

Frank drove David to Brussels so that he could then drive the 176km to Peronne which can only be accessed by car, as there are no rail or bus links to the area. David then hired a car and drove to Peronne.

The story of the Dead Penny as mentioned earlier awoke a sea of emotions with David and his family as he visited the Communal Cemetery at Peronne and walked through this hallowed place that contains a little over 500 graves of Australian Diggers, who never returned home.

When questioned about his visit, David admitted that it was a very sobering experience.

"Even though it is 100 years since the battles, a walk through the white headstones that stand like silent sentinels to this peaceful place, makes one wonder about the futility of war," he said.

He went on to say: "Here lies a grandfather I never knew and was never part of my life, but it stills fills me with a sadness that is hard to explain".

He mentioned flashbacks of pictures he'd seen and how his grandfather Thomas had died from a hail of bullets from a German machinegun.

David said that everyone who had a connection with the Western Front and had lost love ones there should try to make the attempt to visit these hallowed grounds as he contemplated the inscription on his grandfather's headstone which read:

"There's a link death cannot sever. Love's remembrance lasts forever."

Lance Corporal Thomas Scott AIF.

Lest we forget.