A PETERSFIELD war hero has been honoured by Royal British Legion members who visited his grave in Germany.
Sergeant Arthur Ernest Spiers died aged 26 on April 22, 1945, just a fortnight before the Second World War ended.
While Britain celebrated, Arthur’s parents, Alice and Arthur, of Rushes Road, and younger brother Jim, of The Causeway, were in mourning.
To commemorate Sgt Spiers’ sacrifice and bravery, Petersfield Royal British Legion members held a ceremony of remembrance at his grave in Becklingen War Cemetery near Berlin.
They also placed wooden crosses from the Spiers family on the graves of the six men killed with Sgt Spiers.
Royal British Legion standard bearer Jeff Williams said: “It’s important they are remembered.”
At the start of the war in 1939 Arthur was called up and served abroad with the Royal Engineers, including in Italy and Germany.
On November 21, 1943, the 24-year-old and his men were sent to clear mines on a road at Montenero in Italy.
Despite coming under heavy and accurate enemy fire, they cleared the way for the advance to resume.
For his “total disregard of danger”, he was awarded the Military Medal.
As the war drew to a close, his unit was involved in the push into Germany.
On April 22, 1945, sappers led by Sgt Spiers went forward to repair a huge hole in a road near the village of Tosterglope, close to the River Elbe.
But the wooded countryside around the cross roads held hidden German units, and a German 88mm artillery piece fired three shells at the sappers, killing Sgt Spiers and six of his men.
The woods were then so hotly contested that it wasn’t until the next day the bodies could be recovered.
In a letter to Sgt Spiers’ parents, Royal Engineers padre Wilfred Hill wrote: “We all deeply felt the loss of your son.
“He was one of the most valued non commissioned officers in his company.”