Grave of Hoylake war hero found in France

Jan 30 2008 by Staff Reporter, Birkenhead News

A SECOND war grave of a former Kingsmead student and wartime hero has been discovered during preparations for the school’s trip to France.

The grave of John Ralf Ward Webster, who died on August 11, 1916, was found in a rural military cemetery just a mile from fellow pupil Henry Coombs, whose grave was honoured on a previous school trip in October 2006.

John Adamson, an RE and French teacher at the Hoylake school who will be leading this summer’s trip to France, discovered the second grave.

He said: “He was obviously brought back to this place from the front line where he was wounded as there was a military hospital located nearby. Unfortunately, he didn’t survive, and so was buried close to where he died.”

The remote and beautiful location of the grave in Corbie la Neuville, near Amiens, will be visited by the pupils from Kingsmead.

Mr Adamson hopes that the trip will enable students to learn about the horrors of the Battle of the Somme.

He said: “The visit to the grave will mean so much more as they are aware that this man was taught at the school and walked the same corridors as they do today.

“We are hoping that the vast landscape of the Somme and the striking image of row upon row of white gravestones will really heighten the experience.”

The pupils will hold a ceremony at the war grave and a simple cross made by them will be laid at the foot of the headstone to honour John Webster’s name.