THREE generations of the same family have paid tribute to a young soldier exactly 100 years after he was killed in the First World War.

The descendants of Charles Greenslade commemorated the centenary of his death at a small ceremony at the war memorial in Vivary Park, Taunton, on which his name is engraved.

The moving event was attended by Private Greenslade's grandchildren Joan Clark and Derrick Hawkins, great grandchildren Stuart Clark, Fiona Yates and Nicola Yendel and his great, great grandson Vincent Yates, who all live in the Taunton area.

Charles Greenslade, who was just 25, was one of 22 soldiers of the 7th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry killed in action on March 22, 1918, during the Battle of St Quentin, in France.

He was the son of George and Mary Greenslade, husband to Alice Greenslade, and father of Doris, Gladys and Alice Greenslade, of Whitehall, Taunton.

Somerset County Gazette:

Charles Greenslade with his wife and daughters.

His body was never found, but he is remembered with honour at the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, in France.

Another great, great grandson, Russell Yates, travelled to the cemetery to lay a wreath beneath his plaque.

The Battle of St Quentin lasted from March 21 to 23, 1918 and saw 6,600 artillery pieces fired in five hours, the biggest barrage of the whole war.

It involved a large-scale German offensive against the Allied Front codenamed Operation Michael in which mustard gas and cholrine were used.

Somerset County Gazette:

The wreath at the war memorial in Vivary Park.