AROUND 100 men from one Herefordshire village served in the Armed Forces during the First World War.

But 13 of those young men would never return, their names to be immortalised on Eardisland's war memorial.

Private William Webb, youngest son of Shirl Heath thatcher Thomas Webb and his wife, Mary, was one of those 13.

At the outbreak of war, Pte. Webb joined the Army Service Corps, which had a Company based in Leominster.

The unsung heroes of the British Army, this Corps ensured the delivery of essential supplies including food, equipment and ammunitions.

It was the job of the Corps to enable the movement of supplies, mostly from Great Britain, to where they were needed most.

They performed prodigious feats of logistics to play a vital role in winning the war, constructing railways, roads and waterways to support a huge front.

He landed in France in 1915, and at some stage transferred to the 2/5th Territorial Battalion, the East Lancashire Regiment, a territorial unit fighting on the Western Front from 1917 onwards.

But when the German Spring Offensive began in March 1918, the division became heavily engaged in mounting counter-attacks.

During this time, Pte. Webb's unit was engaged in actions around the River Somme crossings near Demuin, between the communities of Ignuacourt and Aubercourt.

Fighting was fierce, and both sides experienced extremely heavy losses.

The 2/5th Territorial Battalion was positioned directly in front of the main German thrust, and by the end of the day on March 21, had suffered 763 casualties from a total strength of 900 men.

Counter-attacks ensued, and Pte. Webb was killed in action on March 31, aged only 30.

He has no known grave, and is commemorated at the Poziers Memorial near Albert, France.

Now his name will live on in the countryside where he spent his young life, with a memorial walk opened in his name.

The 10-mile commemorative walk is the latest to have been created by Eardisland Memorial Walks, a commemorative project dedicated to remembering Eardisland's fallen sons.

The official unveiling of the brass plaque donated by a veteran of the Lancashire Regiment, dedicating the walk to Pte Webb's memory, was conducted by managing trustee of the Pippin Trust, Ray Hunter, a former Royal Navy Commander.