Sister's tribute to youngest war casualty

Dewsbury-born Reginald Earnshaw, known as Reggie, lied about his age to join the Merchant Navy at 14. He died shortly afterwards in a German air attack and his body lay for decades in an unmarked grave.

It was only recently discovered that he was just 14 years and 152 days old when he died.

A granite headstone was erected in an Edinburgh cemetery last summer following a four-year quest by a former shipmate to find out what happened to him.

Now, following a nationwide search to track down Reggie's relatives, Pauline Harvey was able to pay her respects to the brother she lost when she was nine.

Mrs Harvey, 77, said: "He left school at 14 and he went and joined up. He came back and told my mother and I think he was quite proud of what he'd done. It was 18 months into the war and young boys were absolutely captivated by it.

"I remember him going off with a kit bag, but that's about it until he came back in a coffin."