A FIRST World War hero will be honoured in Coaley this week to mark the centenary of his death.

Private Nelson Griffin, 19, was killed on July 29, 1916 whilst pulling their platoon commander, second lieutenant Herbert Ryland to safety.

Prior to the war, Pte Griffin worked at Listers in Dursley and was a church bell ringer as well as being a talented trumpeter who would often walk or cycle as far as Uley to play.

To mark 100 years since his death during the Battle of the Somme, current bell ringers will gather in Coaley to ring a half-muffled quarter peal in his honour.

The Wotton-under-Edge branch of the Gloucester and Bristol Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers is honouring all 18 bell ringers from the area, including three from Coaley, who died during the war with the first quarter peal rang last year for Sapper Joseph Thomas Warner from Yate who was killed at Gallipoli.

Ian Unsworth, who has organised the commemorations, said: “July this year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme and as well as marking that we are ringing quarter peals to remember local bell ringers lost in that battle. 

“The first of those is at Coaley when we will remember Pte Nelson Griffin,”

A member of 11 Platoon C company, 12th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, Pte Nelson was part of a mission to capture three German machine gun positions near Longueval in the early stages of the Battle of the Somme.

2/Lt Ryland was shot through the hip whilst the platoon was securing a position with Pte Griffin and Pte Charles Blake from Portishead rushing to pull him to safety.

Both were killed in the process but their heroic actions saved the life of 2/Lt Ryland from Stow-on-the-Wold.

Maureen Wibberley, the niece of Pte Griffin, still lives in Coaley and will lead tributes by reading a eulogy at the event on Friday. It will include letters penned by Pte Griffin during the war which she will read out in chronological order.

“These two lads showed absolute bravery,” Mrs Wibberley told the Gazette.

“It’s right that we honour them and the quarter peal is a fantastic was to do that.”

The ringing of the quarter peal will begin at St Bartholomew’s Church, Coaley on the 100th anniversary of his death, Friday, July 29 at 6.30pm with a brief service being held prior.