British soldier who went missing during World War One finally laid to rest

George Bunn
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:53:27 +0000

The body of a British soldier who went missing during the First World War has finally been laid to rest after his remains were discovered during the construction of a new hospital in France.

Private Reginald Joseph Blake, known as Joe by his relatives, was just 20 years old when he disappeared in action near Lens in northern France during 1917.

The young serviceman from Essex was finally laid to rest at a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, commonly referred to as the War Detectives.

The burial took place at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Loos British Cemetery Extension, a site that first opened in September 2024.

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Pte Blake, who hailed from Tendring, had been commemorated on the Loos Memorial since his disappearance, his fate unknown to his family for nearly 110 years.

The Essex native signed up to serve with The Essex Regiment at Dovercourt following the outbreak of hostilities. He was subsequently assigned to the 11th Battalion The Essex Regiment, which moved into forward positions north of Lens on April 21, 1917.

The battalion was preparing for an assault scheduled for the following day.

It was amid the fierce combat that ensued that Pte Blake went missing, his body never recovered from the battlefield.

His remains were among numerous British and Canadian soldiers found at the location, including fellow members of his battalion.

Prior to his identification, Pte Blake had been remembered alongside thousands of other missing servicemen on the Loos Memorial, a monument dedicated to those who fell in the area but have no known grave.

His disappearance left his family without answers for generations. The soldier's remains came to light in 2020 when construction workers were building a new hospital on the outskirts of Lens.

His body was discovered alongside many other casualties from the conflict, prompting an investigation by the War Detectives.

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Investigators observed the recovered soldier appeared to be youthful, which helped them compile a shortlist of potential identities from men who had gone missing from the battalion during their time fighting in the region.

Bryan Blake, the soldier's nephew, submitted a DNA sample ultimately confirmed the identity of his uncle.

The genetic testing proved conclusive, finally putting a name to the remains after more than a century. Blake and his sister are believed to be the sole surviving relatives of the young soldier.

He said: "My sister and I believe we are the last remaining relatives of Joe. We are sad that such a young life was taken, and grateful for the dedicated work of the JCCC and CWGC giving the recognition, and final resting place he deserves."

Rosie Barron, a caseworker with the JCCC, described organising the burial as a "privilege".

She said: "His family now have answers as to what happened to 'Uncle Joe' after nearly 110 years of him being missing.

"Although his family was not able to join us today, I know that this has been a great comfort to them and has revived his memory. May he now rest in peace alongside his comrades."

Serving personnel from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment supported the ceremony, with the Reverend Joseph Roberts CF conducting the service.

A trumpeter from The Band of The Royal Yorkshire Regiment also participated.