Hidden photo sparks hunt for facts
It had been covered in dust for more than 90 years but now a forgotten photograph of a fallen war hero has inspired one man to tell his story.
It had been covered in dust for more than 90 years but now a forgotten photograph of a fallen war hero has inspired one man to tell his story.
Churchwarden Adrian Baillie discovered the old picture of Private Thomas Vincent Talbot hidden away in Dudley's St Edmunds King & Martyr Church.
Former choirboy Private Talbot, who was in the Worcestershire Regiment 17th battalion, was killed in action during the First World War.
Mr Baillie, aged 46, said: "I had been cleaning the vestry when I found this old photograph of a former choir boy. The old soldier has been lost for 92 years in the dust of the church until I blew off the dust and decided to find out more about him."
He has been able to piece together part of his story with the help of the 1889 and 1901 censuses as well as military records.
The young soldier lived with parents John and Ann in Halesowen Road, Netherton, and had two brothers Henry and George Lincoln. He enlisted on August 14 1915 but died a year and seven days later, aged 25, during the attack on Ovillers Spur near Thiepval in France.
Mr Baillie said: "I was sent his regiment's movements on the day he was killed, and it makes really moving reading. He was gunned down along with many other soldiers. He is now buried in Thiepval." He is now hoping to trace descendants of Private Talbot and invite them to the church's annual Remembrance Sunday service. "Every November we read out a list of the war dead so we can pay tribute to them but we rarely have faces to go with the names," he added.
"I am sure there must be some descendants of Private Talbot's out there, as he would have been old enough to have been married and even have had children.
"It would be really nice if we could invite some of his descendants to the remembrance service."
Mr Baillie, a recovery handler, has set up a website – www.stedmundsdudley. shutterfly.com – where people can email him with information about Private Talbot. He has also created a group on Facebook called Saving Private Talbot.
Anyone who may be able to help can contact him on 01384 256906.
