Willow Hewett, an author and mother of two from Wells, Somerset, recently purchased a framed photograph of a World War One soldier for just £5 at Cheddar Market. Intrigued by the image and its unknown origins, she has since embarked on a detailed mission to identify the man and locate any living relatives, believing his family to have roots in Gloucestershire.
The photograph’s previous owners, a couple with no knowledge of the soldier’s identity or how the portrait came into their possession, had planned to display it on their wall. But Willow’s curiosity soon spurred her to dig deeper. Examining the back of the frame, she discovered a service number and a studio name from the wartime period, alongside the emblem of the Great War—clues that set her on the path to uncovering the soldier’s story.
Using resources such as The National Archives, the Imperial War Museums, and The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Willow identified the man as Private William Robert Linderbury-Hickerton. Born in 1892 in Walton Cardiff, Gloucestershire, William was the son of William Linderbury and Elizabeth Hickerton. Before the war, he worked as a farm labourer.
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William enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), serving as a medic with the 32nd Field Ambulance— a mobile frontline unit tasked with providing emergency care and evacuating wounded soldiers. He spent much of the war in Palestine, before being transferred to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers’ 13th Battalion in Europe in 1918.
Tragically, William died in northern France on July 24, 1918, aged just 26. With no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Wood Memorial in Flanders, Belgium. He was unmarried and had no children, but research shows he was one of at least six siblings, suggesting that descendants or other relatives might still be living.
Willow hopes to reunite the soldier’s portrait with his family. She has shared the names of William’s siblings—Mary Ann, Alice Harriett, Elizabeth, Charles, and Emma—who grew up in the Deerhurst and Walton area. Although she has found several people in Gloucestershire with the Linderbury surname, none have yet been confirmed as relatives.
One promising lead is Roger Linderbury, found via social media, though Willow is still awaiting a response. If she can locate William’s living family members, she plans to return the photograph to them. Until then, she says she will keep it safe to ensure William’s memory endures.