Difficult to research

“I retired as a teacher at Perth Academy just over a year ago,” says Dave Dykes, “and I am helping a group of pupils to produce a Roll of Honour for the 165 former pupils and staff who lost their lives in the Great War, and are commemorated on the school war memorial.

“The pupils are also holding remembrance services on the 100th anniversary of the death of all of the fallen between now and 2019. As well as being included in the individual’s page in the Roll of Honour, any personal information we can find helps to make the services more meaningful.

“Three of these services have already taken place and have been well received by members of the local community with a connection to the school and to the individuals concerned. I have managed to find personal information on the majority of the people by using the normal sources, but one of them is proving very difficult.

“The person concerned is William David Forbes. He was born in Perth in 1886, living at that time in Rose Crescent, and was educated at Perth Academy. On leaving school he was an apprentice engineer.

“He is on the passenger list of SS Burutu sailing from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria in 1913; and again on SS Elmina from Liverpool to Lagos in 1915. He then worked as an engineer with the Nigerian Railways. He enlisted in the Nigerian Regiment sometime in 1915 and died on November 10 1918.

“Unusually, there is no mention of him in the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, for any of their cemeteries in Nigeria.

“His sister Janey Cardy Shaw of Dunearn, Western Avenue, Perth (wife of William Archibald Stewart) died on February 5 1958.

“Any information on Willam Forbes would be appreciated.

“The next services are on May 26 and 31 and are for Private John Saunders, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, of Abernethy; and Sapper Robert Marshall, Royal Naval Brigade, of Carlogie Road, Carnoustie.”