THE search is on for the body of a First World War soldier buried 96 years ago, in order mark his grave with a headstone.

Pam Steadman is trying to find the location where hero Charles Henry Gibbons was laid to rest in St John the Baptist Church, Upton Bishop, in 1919. Providing she can find the burial records, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission said they will mark his grave themselves with a headstone.

Mr Gibbons was part of the Herefordshire Regiment of the 7th King Shropshire Light Infantry and went to battle as a gunner in France during the First World War.

He died aged just 24, after being gassed while fighting. He was later moved to hospitals in Cardiff and Ross-on-Wye before dying of tuberculosis in Stockport in 1919.

Mrs Steadman, from Upton Bishop, researched the war veteran’s life story after originally doing a “here and now village” display to commemorate the First World War. The exhibition included all the men from the village who had fought in the war, including information about where they were buried.

After being told by Herefordshire Council that Mr Gibbons was “believed” to be buried in Birmingham, Mrs Steadman began to research further about the soldier. She now believes that the Gibbons on the Birmingham memorial is a different soldier who was from Ledbury.

Mrs Steadman has researched church records which she said confirms that Mr Gibbons was from Upton Bishop and was buried in the local churchyard.

However, there is no headstone marking his burial and all that is known is that the funeral ceremony was carried out by a W T Teague.

She added: “There is a grave of Thomas Philips who was buried in the old part of the church in the same year which gives me an idea of the location.

“However, Mr Gibbons’ family at the time were probably poor so couldn’t afford a headstone so I am looking for a relative of Mr Teague. I know Alan Teague was his son but he also had a daughter.”