Ilkeston school pays tribute to teacher who fought in World War One

A dedication ceremony took place this week

A junior school has paid tribute to a former teacher who fought in World War One and lay in an unmarked grave for more than a century.

Herbert Henry Tingle was assistant master of Granby School, in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

He served with the 10th Battalion Sherwood Foresters and returned home after the war but died in 1920 a result of injuries he suffered.

A dedication ceremony was held on Tuesday.

The event took place at Ilkeston's Park Cemetery where Pte Tingle was buried in 1920.

The grave was unmarked for more than a century

His grave was unmarked for more than 100 years before staff and pupils at the school researched his story, traced his surviving family and discovered his final resting place.

Their project resulted in his recognition by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which organised a headstone to mark his grave.

At the ceremony, pupils from the school were joined by Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire Elizabeth Fothergill and other dignitaries as well as representatives of the Mercian Regiment, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), and the Royal British Legion.

The ceremony was attended by many dignitaries and Mercian regimental mascot Private Derby

Pte Tingle was enlisted in 1916.

However, his heart was affected by his time in France and although he was demobilised in 1919, his health deteriorated until he died in January 1920.

Because his death was listed as resulting from natural causes, he was never notified to the commission until in 2019, the pupils at his school researched his story and submitted a case for him to be considered a war casualty.

CWGC director general Claire Horton said: "We give our heartfelt thanks to the pupils of Private Tingle's school, and to all involved, in submitting their research to us in 2019.

"It is our honour to care for his grave in perpetuity."