A Shropshire soldier who died after going missing in the French Alps more than three years ago will finally be laid to rest in his home county.
The funeral of army cadet Blake Hartley, who disappeared in Chamonix on August 8, 2004, will take place on March 8 at 2pm at St Peter’s Church, Cound.
After nearly three years of searching, bones found in the River L’Arve in 2007 were identified as the remains of the 25-year-old Sandhurst soldier.
His mother Sally Perrin, of Hinton, near Shrewsbury, said it would not be a military funeral as the family felt it was not suitable.
She said: “We felt we just wanted an ordinary funeral and I’m sure it will be supported by Blake’s friends.
“It’s going to be very different from the memorial service we held when we still had some hope Blake may be alive.
“Now he is no longer with us and we can have some sort of closure. It will be a much tougher day.”
Blake’s father Richard Hartley, of Golding, near Cound, will read a eulogy at the service along with Blake’s step-father Dave Perrin.
Mr Hartley said: “We have had a tremendous amount of support. After the service, there will be an interment at the graveyard in Cound. Everybody is welcome.
“It’s absolutely wonderful the bones have been found but of course, the mystery is still there as to how he got into the river in the first place and I do not think we will ever know.”
He added: “It’s been three-and-a-half years and a very painful time for me and I’m sure his mother. There’s been lots of twists and turns.”
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