Private Herbert Greaves: Sheffield man killed in WW1 will finally get burial service thanks to War Detectives
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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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Hide AdRosie 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.
What do we know about Private Herbert Greaves’ life in Sheffield?
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.
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.
Who are the MOD War Detectives and how do they help honour the memory of fallen soldiers?
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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Hide AdRosie 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.”