WWI Soldier and Wordsworth Descendant Identified Following Garden Discovery

In 2013, a farmer unearthed human remains while excavating his garden in a French village. He was unaware at the time that he had discovered the body of a World War One soldier who was also a descendant of the poet William Wordsworth. Accompanying the body were artifacts including a piece of uniform, a pocket watch, and a whistle, which proved instrumental in identifying the soldier. These items enabled historians to determine his identity as Lt Osmond Bartle Wordsworth of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. An event scheduled for Thursday at Faringdon’s Buscot Park will feature the recounting of his story. David Innes, a volunteer with the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOFO) in Woodstock, commented that the uniform and button specifically “were very helpful”. He added, “That’s really where the detective work came in and that’s how the museum, then became involved.” The artifacts were subsequently transferred to SOFO for research purposes and continue to be part of its collection. Mr. Innes indicated that SOFO had determined that “a major British offensive” took place near Arras during the spring of 1917. However, since the soldier’s body was discovered 5 miles (9km) from the battlefield, inquiries emerged regarding the possibility that he had been wounded, transported to a medical aid station, and then interred at the location of his death. Mr. Innes stated that such a scenario would have been “unlikely”. He elaborated, “So we were left with the tantalising solution at that stage that this was an officer of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, who died close to a number of fellow officers, but was not serving with them at the time.” Following consultation with the Machine Gun Corps, it was determined that an officer had been attached to that unit. Mr. Innes explained, “The surmise was that maybe it could have been him still wearing his Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry uniform, even though he had been with the Machine Gun Corps for several months before he was subsequently killed.” Subsequently, the officer was identified as Osmond Bartle Wordsworth, a collateral descendant of the poet, indicating a relationship through a common ancestor rather than direct lineage. The poet Wordsworth, one of England’s most influential Romantic poets, died in 1850. Lt. Wordsworth had also survived the sinking of the Lusitania by a German torpedo in 1915, an event that occurred while he was journeying to England from Canada, where he had previously taught. Mr. Innes recounted that Lt. Wordsworth assisted a woman during the disaster by offering her his life jacket. “When he was first found he was buried as simply another unidentified soldier… with a headstone with an inscription as ‘Known unto God’,” Mr. Innes stated. He continued, “As a result of the detective work which took place by volunteers in the museum… he was reburied with his own headstone.” Mr. Innes characterized it as “a remarkable story” considering the duration the body had been missing and the limited evidence available for identification. In late 2018, a visitor to SOFO informed staff that he knew a Wordsworth, leading to contact being established with the family. Mr. Innes remarked, “In a way, it’s raising a salute to a man who gave his life for his country, for his county.” He concluded, “He was a hero, really, so it is an important story for Oxfordshire and for the museum and the volunteers who worked on the topic – it was really very exciting.” Ingram Murray, the father of historian and comedian Al Murray, is scheduled to lead the discussion at Buscot Park. Additionally, a dedication will be held in memory of Tom Shannon, a SOFO trustee who participated in the search efforts but passed away in 2022. For updates, BBC Oxfordshire can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.