HE was one of thousands of soldiers killed on an infamous First World War battlefield known as Devil’s Wood.

Private Oswald Perry, 38, was among those who died in a series of engagements that took place near the French village of Longueval during the Battle of the Somme.

Now a long-forgotten memorial to Pte Perry has been discovered in his home town of Lymington.

It was unearthed during the first phase of a project to restore the graveyard at St Thomas’s Church, parts of which date from the 12th century.

Pte Perry was the only son of Jane Perry and her husband, who lived in the town centre.

After working as a drapery warehouseman in Lymington he joined the 23rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, and went to France in November 1915.

He served on the frontline at various places before being killed at Devil’s Wood, also known as Delville Wood, on July 27, 1916.

Longueval and the surrounding area was the scene of ferocious fighting that lasted for almost two months.

The majority of the wood was eventually taken by South African soldiers, who held on grimly during a series of German counter-attacks.

British troops were also involved in the battle and Pte Perry’s name is among those recorded on the famous Thiepval Memorial, which commemorates more than 72,000 British and South African soldiers who have no known grave.

It also appears on Lymington’s cenotaph, which is outside St Thomas’s.

The graveyard is being restored by Lymington and Pennington Town Council, which is removing brambles, self-seeded trees and piles of compost.

Town clerk Steve Cridland said: “Phase one, which involves tree works and the restoration of the railings around the grave of Admiral Rogers, is nearing completion.

“Phase two will look at lifting fallen and buried gravestones as well as repairing and making safe graves that have been damaged.

“The council is working closely with the church and the diocese to make sure that what is done is acceptable and done properly.”

Ray Mayes, who compiled the Historic Lymington Town Trail leaflet, has agreed to design an information board about the graveyard.

“The council would like to hear from anyone who may be interested in researching the graves and creating a record of who is buried where,” added Mr Cridland.

“While a record exists of those buried in the graveyard no record exists of where they are buried. This exercise could well turn up more interesting information about Lymington’s past.”