Private Herbert Greaves: Sheffield man killed in WW1 will finally get burial service thanks to War Detectives

By Robert Cumber

Published 21st Oct 2022, 18:05 BST

Updated 21st Oct 2022, 18:26 BST

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A Sheffield soldier killed in the First World War, whose body lay undiscovered for more than a century, will finally get the send-off he deserves.

Private Herbert Greaves, from Walkley, was just 28 when he died on May 15, 1917. When his remains were discovered recently just outside a cemetery near Arras, in northern France, the MOD War Detectives were able to piece together his tragic story and track down his descendants.

Their work means he is finally set to get the burial service he was denied 105 years ago when he is laid to rest on Thursday, November 3 at Heninel Communal Cemetery Extension, with one of his three surviving grandchildren and two of his great-grandchildren there to witness the emotional event.

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Private Herbert Greaves, from Walkley, Sheffield, is finally set to get a burial service 105 years after he died during the First World War. His remains had been discovered near a cemetery in northern France and the MOD War Detectives were able to identify him and piece together his story so he can be given a proper send-off after all these years

Private Herbert Greaves, from Walkley, Sheffield, is finally set to get a burial service 105 years after he died during the First World War. His remains had been discovered near a cemetery in northern France and the MOD War Detectives were able to identify him and piece together his story so he can be given a proper send-off after all these years

Rosie Barron is one of the MOD War Detectives, a small team called upon to investigate when the remains of British troops are found on historical battlefields, using their sleuthing skills to identify those discovered, trace any surviving relatives and arrange funeral services with full military honours for them. She told how the team was notified in 2019 by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that a soldier’s remains had been found during work on the cemetery at Heninel.

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Among the artefacts found with the body was a shoulder title for the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and research showed the soldier had probably been serving with the 6th Battalion at the time of his death. His body was bandaged and it is believed he was waiting to be evacuated to England for hospital treatment when he died. “We assume he was left for burial but ended up just outside the cemetery,” said Rosie.

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Heninel Communal Cemetery Extension, where Private Herbert Greaves, from Sheffield, will be laid to rest in a burial service on November 3, at 3pm - 105 years after he was killed in the First World War. His remains were found just outside the cemetery near Arras in northern France and he was identified following extensive research by the MOD War Detectives, who also managed to track down his grandchildren. Photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Heninel Communal Cemetery Extension, where Private Herbert Greaves, from Sheffield, will be laid to rest in a burial service on November 3, at 3pm - 105 years after he was killed in the First World War. His remains were found just outside the cemetery near Arras in northern France and he was identified following extensive research by the MOD War Detectives, who also managed to track down his grandchildren. Photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Having narrowed down the period of his death, Rosie contacted the families of soldiers who fitted those dates and one of Private Greaves’ grandsons agreed to do a DNA test which showed he was a match. It turned out Private Greaves had been born in Walkley, Sheffield, in 1889, and was one of seven children born to Joseph and Ellen Greaves. He married Jane Billard in 1911 and had two children, Herbert and Jane. The 1911 Census listed his occupation as ‘file cutter’ but little more is known about his life before the war, during which records show he was wounded during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

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When Rosie first contacted Private Greaves’ grandson, she said, he didn’t even know his grandfather’s name. But he did some digging and managed to find a box containing some of his grandfather’s possessions, including a photograph of him. He then asked for her help to track down his cousins, Private Greaves’ other grandchildren, whom he had not seen since their grandmother’s funeral some 60 years ago and had lost touch with. Rosie was happy to oblige and the cousins were soon reunited.

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Rosie and her fellow MOD War Detectives have helped identify numerous soldiers over the years and organise burial services or rededications for them. “It’s a brilliant job. The research is fascinating and takes you down all sorts of different routes,” she said. “It’s really satisfying when you get a result. In this case it’s the grandchildren we’ve found, so they’re close relatives, which makes it extra special. Often it’s great nieces and nephews or even great-great ones.”

For more about the MOD War Detectives, including upcoming services they have arranged, and active appeals for information, visit: www.gov.uk/guidance/mod-war-detectives-the-joint-casualty-and-compassionate-centre-commemorations-team-what-we-do.