Three 'unknown' soldiers of World War One finally found
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-27)

The graves of soldiers from Cornwall, Hull and East Kilbride whose names were unknown when they were buried in Belgium have now been identified, rededicated and their headstones inscribed.

Today’s (26 Mar 25) rededication services for Lance Corporal (LCpl) James Ball Baron MM, LCpl Samuel Chapman and Second Lieutenant (2ndLt) Hugh Barr were held at Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Tyne Cot Cemetery and Zantvoorde British Cemetery.

The Rev Paul Robinson CF conducts a rededication service (Crown Copyright)

The services were organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘War Detectives’ and were attended by serving soldiers of The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and The Royal Yorkshire Regiment. The Machine Gun Corps Association also participated in the services.

The men’s bodies were recovered after the war and buried as unknown soldiers: LCpls Baron and Chapman in Tyne Cot Cemetery and 2ndLt Barr at Zantvoorde British Cemetery. Since they were missing, they were commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Their graves were recently identified after researchers submitted cases to CWGC hoping to have identified their final resting places. Further research by the National Army Museum and JCCC confirmed their findings.

JCCC Caseworker, Rosie Barron, said:

It has been an honour to have been involved in the organisation of these rededication services and to have joined the family of LCpl Chapman, their military family and the local community in Ypres in remembering these 3 men. The memory of each of these men has now been passed through generations of their families and they are all still fondly and proudly remembered.

LCpl James Ball Baron MM:

LCpl Baron from Mevagissey, Cornwall, enlisted into The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry after the outbreak of the war. He was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and was posted to 43rd Machine Gun Company. He was awarded the Military Medal (MM) on 14 November 1916, for his bravery on the Somme, when he single-handedly held a position after all his comrades had been put out of action. He was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre on 1 May 1917.

On 22 August 1917, 43rd Machine Gun Company supported an infantry attack on Inverness Copse east Hooge. At dawn on 24 August the enemy counterattacked, and the British infantry retreated back to their original line. In turn a counterattack made by the British infantry then regained the western edge of Inverness Copse. In total 15 other ranks of 43rd Machine Gun Company including LCpl Baron were killed during this period. He was 29 years old. His Commanding Officer stated that he was ‘always a man of great spirit and example, and undoubtedly one of the bravest and coolest men of the company’.

LCpl Samuel Chapman:

LCpl Chapman from Hull, enlisted into The East Yorkshire Regiment in March 1915. Having arrived on the Western Front he was posted to 1/4th Battalion on 1 September 1915. On 12 December 1917, the battalion took over part of the line near Passchendaele. Whilst in the line LCpl Chapman was wounded and was evacuated to the Regimental Aid Post (RAP) at Tyne Cot. This was located in a pillbox (a concrete defensive structure), now the location of the Cross of Sacrifice in the cemetery. Casualties who did not survive were buried near the pillbox. LCpl Chapman was one such casualty and appears to have died there or while travelling to the RAP on 14 December 1917. He was 19 years old.

2ndLt Hugh Barr:

2ndLt Barr hailed from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire and enlisted into The Scottish Horse on 5 September 1914. Having seen service in Gallipoli, the Suez and Salonika, he returned to the UK on 30 March 1917 to be Commissioned. On 16 November 1917, he was Commissioned into 6th Battalion The Rifle Brigade. 2ndLt Barr arrived at the Base Depot in Camiers, France, on 27 July 1918 and was posted to 35th Battalion Machine Gun Corps and joined them in the field in Belgium the following day.

On 30 September 1918 35th Battalion Machine Gun Corps supported an attack on Werwik. The attack was held up by a line of trenches and pillboxes north of the railway and led to heavy casualties. Another officer of the battalion stated that 2ndLt Barr was ‘a man’s man - one of our most popular Officers’. He went on to state that ‘2ndLt Barr went out on a daring reconnaissance during an attack, and his men state that his bravery and daring astounded everyone, and there is no doubt his action was the means of saving many lives and of helping to restore the situation at a critical period’. 2ndLt Barr was killed during this action and was buried on the outskirts of the town. He was 28 years old.

The service for LCpl Chapman was attended by his great great nephew who had travelled from Yorkshire to pay his respects.

Tim Buescher stands at the grave of his great great uncle, Lance Corporal Samuel Chapman, with the military party (Crown Copyright)

Tim Buescher, great great nephew of LCpl Chapman said:

We are amazed that after all this time, Sam is found. This generation of our family, like many others, was hit hard by the Great War and as a result, these people were lost to us before we could know them. The care and dedication to duty of the JCCC and CWGC has made us feel cared for. The detail of research, constant communication, and consultation on our family’s wishes has helped to create a sense of closeness to Sam and by extension, his siblings John and Rachael. Sam’s brother John died only 6 weeks before him. Being able to commemorate their life and their sacrifice, whilst mourning their loss, feels like they are being brought home somehow. Thank you.

Reverend Paul Robinson CF, Chaplain to 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment who conducted the service, said:

It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to preside at the rededication services of LCpl James Ball Baron MM, LCpl Samuel Chapman and 2ndLt Hugh Barr. Memorials reflect the emphasis the British people place on the worth and value of the individual. It is important that we as a nation at opportunities like this today reflect on the enormity of what has taken place, the horror, the loss, the frustration. We must respect our values and our freedoms and remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our way of life.

The headstone over the graves were replaced by CWGC. Director for the Southern and Central Europe Area at the CWGC, Xavier Puppinck, said:

We are honoured to have played our part in ensuring that Lance Corporals James Ball Baron and Samuel Chapman, and Second Lieutenant Hugh Barr are remembered in perpetuity. After years of being commemorated as unknown soldiers, thanks to the meticulous research and collaboration of the teams involved, their graves now bear their names, ensuring they will never be forgotten.