THE UNMARKED war grave of an American airman is now overlooked by a poignant remembrance bench, thanks to a charity's generous donation.

John Christiansen died in an accident at Witney Aerodrome in September 1918 and his is the only unmarked war grave in Tower Hill cemetery, Witney.

A century after his death, Corporal Christiansen's grave is the focus of the bench donated by Witney-based veterans and bereavement charity, Forces Support.

The new addition features a poppy and the words 'Lest We Forget' and is located in a section that contains five of the cemetery's 12 Commonwealth War Graves.

A centenary oak tree sapling has also been donated by Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with The Woodland Trust.

IN PICTURES: Remembrance Sunday 2018 across West Oxfordshire

Witney mayor, Brenda Churchill, thanked the charity for the gift.

She said: "It’s the perfect bench to have there among the war graves, a very thoughtful donation at an appropriate time by Forces Support.

"I am sure that it will be appreciated by everyone that visits.

"The location of the bench at that particular spot means that the town of Witney continues to fulfil this most honourable of obligations to Corporal Christiansen and his family."

Forces Support assists families of service personnel killed while serving in the British armed forces and helps former service personnel and their loved ones who are suffering financial hardship.

During last year's celebrations to mark the centenary of Armistice Day, the war graves in Tower Hill cemetery were covered in blankets of scarlet poppies.

Representatives of the RAF exercised their freedom of Witney by marching through the town on Remembrance Sunday, with hundreds of people flocking to the town's war memorial to pay their respects.