THE names of two soldiers killed in the First World War have been added to a school memorial after lying hidden for nearly a century.

Details of student William Sheel and porter, Joseph Robert Watson, were discovered in Barnard Castle School’s archives.

Mr Sheel, of Sunderland, was a chief engineer in SS Ludgate and drowned at sea in July 1917, aged 32.

He was one of 145 boys included in the roll of honour, but was accidentally missed off the memorial wood panels in the school’s chapel that were commissioned by the Old Barnardians Club after the war.

It was not until Mr Sheel’s name was discovered that Alumni Relations and Archive Officer, Dot Jones, decided to check whether any others had been missed and found Mr Watson, who was the school’s boot boy.

With the help of resident, Peter Wise, she found him on the St Mary’s Church and Barnard Castle memorials.

The 29-year-old served as part of the 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment and was killed in action at Gallipoli on November 19, 1915, leaving behind his wife, Millicent, and four children.

The men were among more than 700 from the school, formerly North Eastern County School, who went to fight in regiments such as the Durham Light Infantry and the Public Schools Battalion.

Of them, 145 boys, four masters and porter, Mr Watson, would never return.

Miss Jones explained how the two names were carved into the memorial and said the school would be keen to hear from any of their descendants.

“It was huge for the school that so many were lost,” she said. “We are hoping that these two people’s descendants would like to come and see it and of course if anyone knows of anyone else who was a porter here we would like to add them as well.”

The Old Barnardians Club has also raised £250 to install a plaque at St George’s Memorial Chapel in Ypres, as 116 of the boys died in the Ypres Salient and at the Battle of the Somme.

Talking about the plaque, Miss Jones said: “It’s fabulous and very touching because lots of the Old Barnardians are in the cemeteries over there or mentioned in the memorial gate so it’s very special to have something like that there.

“Every two years the school take a trip to the battlefields so the present group will be able to see it.”

Old Barnardians Club chairman, Peter Hodges, said they were proud of the commitment made by the pupils and staff that made the ultimate sacrifice.

“We lost more than our fair share of friends and family and it is important that they are properly remembered for future generations,” he said.