Medals and letters of teenage soldier donated to war museum.

PRIVATE Joseph Nicholls was one of the youngest soldiers to die in the Battle of Somme. His body has no known grave.

But for a year after he was reported missing, the distraught mother of the 17-year-old held out the hope that he was still alive.

Finally, when one of his friends was traced to a German prisoner of war camp, he confirmed the worst - the young Durham Light Infantryman had been cut down.

Now, more than 90 years after his death, the sacrifice of Pte Nicholls will be recalled once again, as his medals, letters and cards are handed over to the DLI Museum, in Durham City.

Keith Petvin-Scudamore, who formerly served with the DLI and runs a military website, said he had been approached by Pte Nicholls' nephew, John Mather, who wanted the memorabilia to be kept for posterity.

Mr Petvin-Scudamore, of Bournemouth, said: "This young man was thrown into the living hell of battle - he has no known grave.

"Imagine the horrors of battle that he had to endure, until on November 5, 1916, his life came to an abrupt end.

"Just 17, his mother was distraught with worry, not knowing what had happened to him, maybe dead, maybe prisoner.

"It was not until she received a letter from the Controllee Prisoners Geneva that they confirmed that his pal, Pte Barker, said he had been killed on the battlefield. His body was never found."

Pte Nicholls enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry and was posted to the 1st/8th battalion. Although underage, a photograph shows him proudly carrying "The Stick", which was given to the best recruit at passing out.

After training, he would have been shipped to Belgium and, after another brief spell of training, sent to the front. There he served with B Company, Bombing Section.

His mother, Elizabeth, had written on July 26, 1917, to The Agency Internationale Prisoners Geneva. Months later she got the dreadful news.

In 1919, his mother received a sum of £7 as a war gratuity from the Secretary of State for War. Pte Nicholls, who was from Ryton, then in County Durham, now in Gateshead, is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, which commemorates nearly 73,000 soldiers who died on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 20, 1918, who have no known grave.

The letters, photographs and embroidered French postcards sent to his family were passed on to Mr Mather, of Newcastle.

Mr Mather, 68, said last night: "I thought it would be fitting for the cards, letters and photographs to be put somewhere where they could be remembered and kept for future generations."

The memorabilia will be presented to the DLI Museum on May 15/