Tribute to genealogist who traced family to Fromelles war grave

4:30pm Thursday 11th March 2010

By Rebecca Cain

A MAN who donated his DNA to help identify a soldier in an unknown grave in France has died aged 58.

Peter Lance, from Watford, who grew up in High Wycombe died from heart disease at the start of the year.

His partner of 30 years Sally Ivins said he will be greatly missed and at his funeral in Chiltern Woodland Burial Park at the end of February said: “Our beloved Peter will be laid to rest in the earth he worked with as a gardener and the trees he loved so much all around him.”

Peter grew up in Easton Street, High Wycombe and his grandfather Charles Lance was mayor of High Wycombe from 1945 to 1947.

His father co-founded solicitors Bruce, Lance & Co in Easton Street in the 1950s.

In May last year he donated DNA to find out if the body of a man discovered in a mass grave in northern France was his great- uncle, Frederick Lance.

Dozens of soldiers from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. including Peter's great- uncle Frederick, are expected to be identified in the grave discovered by archaeologists near the village of Fromelles following a battle in July 1916.

Peter was asked to put on an exhibition about the battle at the Wycombe Museum and was gathering material before he died.

Sally added: “He was thrilled. He was absolutely into it. He was going to do an exhibition for Wycombe Museum and write a piece for the Times. It was so tragic to be taken away when he died.”

Sally and Peter met in London in 1980 and moved to Church Road, Watford where they had their son, Linden Lance, 19.

At the funeral musicians from The Clarendon Muse, Watford including son Linden performed followed by saxophonist Saira Clegg and singer Pat Purcell who previously sang at Covent Garden and Jamie Gairdner currently with The Bach Choir.

Peter's surviving brother John Lance and cousin Gavin Lance also spoke movingly at his funeral, which was attended by his auntie June Lance from Beaconsfield.

Sally said: “I would like to thank the Chiltern Woodland Burial park for all their hard work and the very beautiful environment.

“The whole thing was organised by Peter Taylor who went out of his way to make sure the occasion was very special and so right for Peter.”

She is currently trying to trace Peter's first wife who he married in 1973 at Amersham Hall registry office. Sally said: “We have tried very hard to find his first wife to let her know.

“Her maiden name was Cheryl Ann Davis and they applied for a divorce in March 1979.”

If you know Cheryl or would like to get in touch with Sally then please email rcain@london.newsquest.co.uk and the message will be passed on.