ALMOST 64 years ago, an 11-year-old girl made a promise to her grieving grandmother that she would find the final resting place of her soldier son.

Six decades later, and with the help of several government ministers, Jean Forrest has fulfilled that promise and tracked down her uncle Jack's grave in time for the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day.

She has also received the five medals he received for fighting in the Second World War.

Jack, also known as John, Hulme was conscripted into the army in 1939. He died in action in 1944, at the age of 31, while serving as a gunner for the Royal Artillery in Italy.

His family were told by officials that he had been 'blown to bits,' and his mother Sarah - Jean's grandmother - was tortured by the fact that he might not have an official grave.

So she made 11-year-old Jean promise to find his memorial.

Jean, now 76, said: "My uncle Jack was so handsome, I was absolutely in love with him. He would tell me he would wait for me so we could get married. He must have thought I was so silly.

"I remember there being talk of him coming home for leave but he never made it back. When my grandmother told me to find him I didn't understand what she meant because I was too young but as I grew older I thought more and more about finding his grave."

For a long time Jean, who moved from Staffordshire to Blackburn 55 years ago after meeting her husband Norman, was thwarted in her mission.

She said: "I wrote lots of letters but never heard anything back so I decided to ask Jack Straw for help. His assistant Pat Maudsley could see how sincere I was and she put in a lot of hard work to help me find out about uncle Jack."

Mr Straw also told Minister of Defence Des Browne about Jean's quest, and she not only received full details about the location of her uncle's grave in the Italian Cesna cemetery but was also sent his five war medals.

"It made me so proud to see his medals," Jean said. "I knew he always deserved some recognition for his sacrifice and now I feel he has got it. I know now that the promise I made as a child has been fulfilled and that my grandmother will be able to rest in peace. My one wish would be to go and visit his grave, but I cannot afford to.

"I cannot thank everyone enough for all the help they have given me."