A SOLDIER who died during the infamous “Long March” of 1945 has finally been given a name, more than 70 years after his death.

In the latter stages of the Second World War, George Henry Thompson was among the thousands who were force-marched by the Germans from prisoner-of-war camps ahead of the advancing Russians.

A private in the Green Howards, George, from North Shields, had been captured in May 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk and had been a PoW ever since.

During the Long March in early 1945 prisoners were forced to hike west through the depths of winter without adequate clothing, supplies or basic medical treatment. Disease, hypothermia and the cruelty of the guards led to significant casualties.

George, 26, was one of them. Post-war testimony by others in the column confirmed he died of dysentery near the small German town of Wittenburg, south-east of Hamburg. His final resting place was not recorded – or any record was lost – and he was listed as missing on the Dunkirk memorial.

But many years later a researcher passing through Wittenburg visited the civilian cemetery and there he found a grave marked, in German, as An Unknown English Soldier.

He contacted the Green Howards Museum in Richmond which started to investigate.

No military action had taken place at Wittenburg, there were no records of any British soldier being involved in a fatal accident in the area and the only explanation was that a PoW from a column on the Long March was buried in the plot.

The museum put the case to the Ministry of Defence – which sets the bar high when it comes to convincing them to re-dedicate a headstone so long after the event.

But the case was a strong one and while the MOD was not prepared to go all the way, they have agreed to replace the German marker with a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone which will begin “Believed to be buried here…”

Despite extensive efforts the museum has been unable to track down any of George’s family or descendants so no next-of-kin will be present when his grave is rededicated on Friday.

But the Army never forgets its own and soldiers from the Green Howards’ successor, the Yorkshire Regiment, will be there to pay military tribute when George’s remains are properly marked.