Rare pen identifies WWI soldier

Lance Corporal John Brown, who had worked as a postman, died in 1915

A researcher has identified a World War I soldier by a rare fountain pen discovered by his body.

Peter Last, from Great Wakering in South Essex, discovered through the pen, which was issued by a Post Office newsletter, the soldier was a postman.

Lance Corporal John Brown died in 1915, but only now has he received a full military burial.

Mr Last said he was glad his efforts were a success for the sake of Mr Brown's relatives.

Clues in newsletter

John Brown's and other soldiers' bodies were discovered in France after some road widening operations, he said.

Mr Last said: "I have some friends in France and they emailed me photographs of the bodies.

Thanks to a rare fountain pen, the man's family will now be able to visit his grave Peter Last

"I wrote a small article on it and then thought of contacting the head Post Office in London; they've got a wonderful archive section," he added.

The Post Office dug up old issues of the Postman's Federation, an employee newsletter, and compared the published names of those killed or wounded with those of Mr Last.

They discovered that John Brown appeared on both lists.

"Thanks to a rare fountain pen, the man's family will now be able to visit his grave," Mr Last said.

"If the soldier had not been identified, he would have been buried the same way as the other soldiers... as an anonymous grave," he added.

Mr Last is chairman of the Southend branch of The Western Front Association, a military research organisation based in Buckinghamshire.