The family of a Bradford on Avon soldier who died in a First World War battle 93 years ago this month hope that DNA from a living relative will help to find his remains in a mass grave so they can give him a proper burial.

Westbury woman Rosina Clark, whose great uncle Private Walter John Deverell died in the Battle of Fromelles in northern France in July 1916, stumbled across the news of her relative’s death while researching her family tree and has been looking into his life for the past two years.

They found his name engraved on a plaque at Westwood Church near Bradford on Avon, along with all the names of other local men who lost their lives during the First World War, as he had lived in Avoncliff before serving the the Great War with The Gloucestershire Regiment.

Mrs Clark, 69, of Penwood Close, Westbury, said: “I hadn’t known what to get my brother for his 40th wedding anniversary so we had looked into a family tree and had found out that Walt had died at Fromelles in July 1916 and it is thought he was buried in a mass grave by Germans along with many other English and Australian servicemen.

“It would be amazing if we could lay him to rest properly in the cemetery they are creating in Fromelles especially for those who died.”

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has been in touch with Mrs Clark and her family, regularly updating them on the excavation work that is being carried out.

Work began in the spring to exhume the remains of up to 400 unknown soldiers found in five burial pits on the edge of Pheasant Wood near Fromelles.

The commission has requested a DNA sample from a relative to try and identify the remains of Mr Deverell.

Mrs Clark said: “They have asked for my aunt Gwen’s DNA because she is the eldest out of Walt’s nieces and nephews, I’m not sure why they chose her or how the DNA test will be taken, but they said it is likely to happen this month.

“We just have to wait with bated breath. Every time the phone rings I think they are calling to tell me about Walt. It would be wonderful if they found him.”

Mr Deverell's niece Gwen Hird said: “Walt was my mother’s only brother and he was only 20 when he died. So I think its marvellous that we may be able to find out more about him as he was talked about so much by my mother and I never knew him because I was born in 1925 after he had died.

“I think it would be lovely to find Walt and my brother and sister are quite keen to find out more as well so I am happy to give a DNA sample to find out about him.”

As well as finding out about her great uncle, who is her grandmother’s brother, Mrs Clark would also like to find out more about her grandfather’s brother Albert Moore and his side of the family.

She said: “It would be nice to find out more about Albert’s side of the family because we don’t know much about that side and if there were any relatives that we didn’t know about.”