Appeal for Help to Identify WWI Soldiers from Photograph Purchased for £1

An individual is requesting assistance to identify the military personnel featured in a photograph acquired from a charity shop for £1. Adrian Maasz has successfully identified approximately 75% of the individuals present in the picture, which portrays the 1915 military officer cohort from Wadham College, Oxford. His current endeavor involves discovering the identities of the unidentified faces, among them six members of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI). According to Mr. Maasz, the photograph was captured several months prior to numerous subjects being deployed to the Battle of the Somme, an engagement where some would perish. He stated that he has dedicated over five years to this project. Mr. Maasz, a resident of Suffolk, has ascertained that roughly 40% of the men he has identified thus far lost their lives during the conflict. He mentioned that one of these individuals was killed on the initial day of the Battle of the Somme. Mr. Maasz indicated that a World War One internet forum provided “massive help” in the identification process of the soldiers. He remarked, “It’s becoming a real sort of social history project.” He explained that a significant advancement occurred when a PhD student participating in the Great War Forum contacted him, reporting the discovery of a comprehensive list of all participants in that year’s military officer program within Oxford University’s archives. Mr. Maasz noted that this discovery simplified the task to merely correlating the names on the list with the 48 faces depicted in the photograph. The names of the DLI personnel still awaiting identification, along with a visual gallery of their faces, are provided below: AG Brown and JH Kearns, two individuals, were documented as ill on the list uncovered by the PhD student; however, Mr. Maasz has been unable to ascertain their regimental affiliations. He speculates that one of these men represents the unidentified sixth member from the DLI. Mr. Maasz employed the distinctive lapels and caps worn by the men as a method to connect each individual to a particular regiment. The most numerous contingent, comprising 10 men, was affiliated with the DLI. By soliciting assistance from the relatives of the men via the war forum and consulting Durham archives, he has successfully identified four individuals to date. “Not everyone died in the war,” he stated. As an illustration, Alan Apperley is one of the DLI members Mr. Maasz has gathered information about but has not yet matched to a face. Mr. Maasz indicated his belief that Mr. Apperley survived the conflict, married in 1922, and established residence in Tynemouth, North Tyneside. For updates, follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story suggestions can be sent to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.