TODAY [July 9] my wife and I attended the formal dedication ceremony at Utley Cemetery of a Commonwealth War Grave for Private Ivor Tempest Greenwood, of Keighley, who died of pneumonia in an army camp in Grantham in 1914, never having seen active service.

After five years of hard work by Ian Walkden of the Men Of Worth Project (a local organisation recently granted funds by Keighley Town Council), this sad story has come to a very successful end.

My grandfathers both fought in the First World War, my father at 25 suffered the horrors of the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation and I was an air force cadet at my school, Merchant Taylors’ Crosby – so, it was gratifying to note all 29 KTC councillors were invited to attend this ceremony.

Among the 70 people present were our new MP, John Grogan, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, the Lord Mayor of Bradford and Keighley’s Mayor. Judith Hales was the official bugler, and there was an honour guard for the actual unveiling of the new gravestone.

So, it was an insult to this soldier’s memory that whilst three former mayors attended, only two local councillors – myself and district councillor Rebecca Poulsen – made the effort to be there to represent our town and district.

To those who would suggest I am making too much of these non-appearances, possibly on the grounds it was not that important, they could not be more wrong.

The Rev Dr Jonathan Pritchard and Ian Walkden both made the point we are all Pte Greenwood’s family now, as no direct descendants have so far been traced.

When the fate of the world depends on individuals like Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un, we have to learn the lessons of history and ensure our children and grandchildren grow up without living through World War Three!

COUNCILLOR MARTIN WALKER Wood View Road, Oakworth