'A wrong has been righted' - Watch as nephew of missing First World War soldier reacts as uncle eventually takes rightful place on Sunderland memorial

The memorial was erected 100 years ago on August 16, 1924, to honour those who served and perished during WW1.

Last month, Private Charles Rathbone was one of three soldiers - which also included Thomas Littlefair Howarth and John Edward Wake - finally added to the memorial after a remembrance plaque was discovered at the nearby but now closed St Mary’s church which contained the same list of names, but with the addition of the missing three privates.

Charles’ omission was all the more strange as his brother, William Rathbone, was one of the original names on the memorial who was recognised for making the ultimate sacrifice.

The story was seen by 74-year-old retired civil servant Colin John Clark who knew straightaway the missing name was that of his great-great uncle Charlie.

Colin, who lives in Whitburn, said: “I had been looking at the football on the Echo’s website and I remember the main picture on the missing soldiers’ story catching my eye.

“The photograph showed Charlie’s name getting engraved on the memorial and I thought ‘wow’ that’s my great-great uncle.

“I checked the army service number in the story, and sure enough, it was him.”

Despite obviously never meeting both of his great-great uncles, the legacy of their bravery in making the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War has been passed down through his family’s generations, mainly through Charles’ and Williams sister, Colin’s great grandmother, Isabella Rathbone.

Colin said: “I was 18 when my great grandmother died in 1968, at the age of 93. She used to keep her brother’s photographs in a box in a plastic bag. She didn’t get them out often, but would do every now and again when we had family visitors.

“She never forgot her brothers and would talk about them and the sacrifices they made for their country.

“I was only a teenager at the time and I now wish I had listened more and asked further questions.”

Like hundreds of thousands of other servicemen, both Charles and William perished in the infamous Battle of Somme in Northern France.

Colin said: “They were both in the Northumberland Fusiliers, with Charlie in the Tyneside and Irish division and Will in the Tyneside Scottish division.

“As privates, they both fought on the frontline in the trenches and died after going over the top and on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916.

“Charlie was reported as ‘killed’ whilst Will was initially reported as ‘missing’ and was later assumed dead.

“Charlie was 37 at the time, while William would have been 40. Both men were married and left behind wives and children.

“Neither of their bodies were found or recovered and both of their names are on the Thiepval Memorial in France.”

The memorial was created to remember the 72,337 missing British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme, who have no known grave.

Colin was aware of Charlie’s century long omission from South Hylton War Memorial and believed there must be a logical reason for it - although that reason still remains a mystery.

He explained: “I’ve no idea why Charlie’s name was originally missing, although I have visited the memorial many times and seen Will’s name on it and so I always found it rather odd.

“I assumed he maybe hadn’t been living in South Hylton at the time of the war and was on a memorial somewhere else.

“I never considered it could be due to a mistake.

“It’s excellent to now see his name on the memorial and, as part of his family, I’m just happy he has now taken his rightful place alongside his fallen comrades.

“A wrong has been righted. William and Charles are both my relatives and both their names should be there.”

Even before reading the story about the missing soldiers, Colin had been interested in finding out more about his family history and in particular his uncles who went on to become war heroes.

He said: “Charles was married to his wife Florence and according to the 1911 Census lived Listers Cottage in South Hylton and was a forgeman labourer.

“The same Census also has William listed as a forgeman. He was married to Maggie Rathbone and lived at 29 High Street, South Hylton.”

The Military Service Act was passed in January 1916, six months before the Battle of the Somme, introducing the compulsory conscription of all single men between the ages of 18 and 41.

As such, Colin is unsure whether Charles and William were called-up or had already enlisted. Whatever the reason for these sons of Sunderland finding themselves in the battlefields of northern France, Colin feels the exploits and sacrifices Charlie, Will and other fallen heroes of his generation should never be forgotten.

He said: “Charlie has now taken his rightful place on the memorial alongside Will and his other comrades.

“I think it’s very important we remember what these lads did for us. If they hadn’t sacrificed themselves, things could have been very different now.

“They were so brave and I’m not sure I could have done what they did. I plan to go back to South Hylton War Memorial to get a photograph alongside Charlie’s name.”

Sticking with the message of ‘lest we forget’, the final missing soldier who we have yet to hear from any family members is Private John Edward Wake, who is believed to have served in the Durham Light Infantry.

If you know anything about Private Wake or the mystery behind the original omission of these missing WW1 war heroes from the memorial, then contact me at [email protected]

Last week I published a story about another of the missing soldiers, Private Thomas Littlefair Howarth, after speaking with his great-great niece, Valerie Miyata, who now lives in Ontario, Canada.