Next week the tenor bell of Helston’s parish church will toll to mark the centenary of another World War One serviceman killed in action - although, unusually, it took 99 years for the true circumstances surrounding his death to come to light last year.

Private William John Williams, of the Company Boulogne, Royal Marine Labour Corps, was killed as a direct result of enemy action on June 30, 1918, aged 39 years.

Yet until last year his family had always believed he died in a hospital that was bombed.

It was not until July 2017, following research carried out by the Helston World War One Heritage Project, that a letter came to light, written to William’s widow Elizabeth by fellow serviceman Paul Woon of Bugle, which gave the true picture.

Having been wounded onboard the ill-fated HMT Royal Edward in July 1915, when it was torpedoed en route to Gallipoli, claiming the lives of four other Helston men, William, then part of the Army Service Corps, was sent to the France & Flanders theatre of war.

At some stage he was transferred to the Royal Marines Labour Corps.

Having been released from hospital, following treatment for his wound, he was in his hut when there was an air raid and he couldn’t get out in time.

Tragically, he had been due to transfer out the hut the next day. It seemed that William’s luck finally ran out.

He was buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery, at Wimille, Pas de Calais, France.

Elizabeth and the couple’s eight children continued to live at 2 Olivers Terrace, off Meneage Street, Helston, and his granddaughter, Yvonne Murphy, still lives in Helston.

William’s son Willian Oates Williams, who was born in 1899, also served in France during the war and was wounded, but survived.

Prior to World War One William senior had been a mason and, one day early on in the war, whilst he was working on re-pointing one of the local mine engine houses, he just decided to go and enlist - leaving his tools and equipment behind him.

He went on to enlist in Aldershot, in Hampshire.