Appeal to trace family of fallen WW1 soldier

Edward Norton's last known address was 22 Pondwicks Road, Luton

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is appealing to trace relatives of a World War One soldier who died 100 years ago.

Edward Norton was born in Stotfold, Bedfordshire in 1881 and was a sergeant in the seventh Battalion Durham Light Infantry when he died in 1918.

His body was never found, but in July 2016 human remains were discovered in Gavrelle, northern France, where Mr Norton died a century ago.

The MoD is now appealing for relatives to help identify the remains.

Mr Norton was son to Augustus and Mary Ann Norton. He initially served in the Bedfordshire Regiment before transferring to the Durham Light Infantry.

He married Susan Agnes Bushwell in 1907 and according to the 1911 census, his last known address was 22 Pondwicks Road, Luton.

'One of two men'

The remains were discovered during land clearance ahead of construction work.

The government's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) found a shoulder title among the remains which indicated the soldier was in the seventh battalion of the Durham Light Infantry.

War diaries placed the Battalion in Gavrelle in September 1918. Records show six men died in this month - four officers and two soldiers.

The JCCC believe the remains are "likely" to be one of the two soldiers, due to artefacts found.

While a grandson of the other soldier has been traced, the team have been unable to find any relatives of Mr Norton.

Louise Dorr from the JCCC said: "He is to be buried in France on 15 March.

"Rather than bury him as an unknown soldier, I would love to be able to identify him so that his headstone may bear his name."

If there is a DNA match, the family of the fallen soldier will be invited to attend the full military burial service in March.