A SEARCH has started in Tytherington to trace the history of 12 men who gave their lives in the First World War.

The war memorial outside St James' Church in the village, near Thornbury, bears the names of the men - but there are no relatives remaining locally to reveal what happened to them.

Now members of the Tytherington branch of the Royal British Legion are hoping an appeal for information will bear fruit so the victims can be remembered during commemoration events to mark the outbreak of the war.

John Black, a member of the branch, said it was planned to compile the stories of each of the men and display them in the village.

On the Sunday nearest the anniversary of each man's death, a candle will also be lit in the church and a tribute paid to them.

Mr Black said: "They must not be forgotten. The Royal British Legion is involved in a campaign called Every Man Remembered after a young girl who visited war graves said it was a shame that some graves had dozens of poppies and crosses on them, while others had no-one left to remember them.

"The aim is for every man and woman who was killed to be individually commemorated throughout the First World War centenary years."

Mr Black said it was hoped to involve St Helen's School, Alveston, in the search to get details about the Tytherington 12 through their lessons.

He said: "One of the names on the memorial is Maurice Livall but the only person in the village with that surname didn't know anything about him.

"Interestingly, Mr Livall and a Reginald Pearce died quite a few years after the end of the war but were still included on the memorial. Whether they died as a result of an injury sustained, we don't know.

"We would be grateful for any information about these selfless people. If any of their descendants read this, we would very much like to hear from them.

"We'd like to know what they did before they enlisted, their age when they joined up and where they served."

Anyone who can help Mr Black and his fellow members can email him at john.black32@btinternet.com or phone 01454 416413.

The names of the men and the dates of their death are:

• Gordon King, May 20, 1915

• Joseph Cousins, August 26, 1916

• Albert Davis, April 22, 1917

• Francis Davis, June 7, 1917

• James Rugman, August 4, 1917

• Sidney Jefferies, June 21, 1915

• Jesse Brown, November 23, 1917

• Fred Williams, January 19, 1918

• Louis Rugman, March 21, 1918

• George Daniels, June 26, 1918

• Reginald Pearce, August 21, 1925

• Maurice Livall, August 24, 1924