A family with its roots in Egremont is remembering a relative who 100 years ago this month lost his life in World War One.

Nick Walker is the great-nephew of Joseph Long, who came from Hagget End, Egremont, and says little is known about what happened to his great-uncle Joseph when he died on the French battlefield near Arras on May 19, 1917.

But Nick feels strongly that this sacrifice should not be forgotten.

Joseph, the son of Robert and Isabella Long, was the brother of Nick’s maternal grandmother. Nick’s mother is Mildred Walker (nee Mounsey) of Egremont, who is about to mark her 91st birthday.

Nick said: “Joseph went over the top and never came back. Like so many of his colleagues his name is engraved on the memorial at Foubourg-d’Amiens in Arras.

“There is no grave, he was never found; he was 27. We know he was an iron ore miner and served with the Border Regiment but sadly his records were destroyed when Somerset House was bombed in World War Two.”

The family has no photo of Joseph, nor any keepsake medals. But they are proud that his name appears on the war memorial in Egremont and also on his parents’ headstone in the town’s cemetery.

Nick, who lives at Lancaster, has researched the 1st Battalion’s war diary for the time of Joseph’s death and learned that the battalion had come up to the Front preceded by artillery barrage, designed to destroy the German defences, which was falling short of its target and, sadly, shells were falling on a holding trench occupied by some members of the Border Regiment.

Nick said: “Despite this, the order to attack was given and the battalion headed out over No-Man’s Land towards the German positions. Casualties were high and none of the Battalion’s companies reached their objectives.

“The decision was taken to fall back and somewhere in among all this mayhem Joseph had been killed.

“It was heartening to see so many people attending the Remembrance Sunday ceremony last November at the war memorial in Egremont. ”