PENSIONER David Luscombe Elliot told how he travelled to France to find the exact spot where his uncle made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in the Battle of the Somme.

"When we visited the Thiepval Memorial, we actually found the spot where my uncle was first wounded and then died - it was very moving," said Mr Luscombe Elliot, who lives in Abingdon.

As the nation marks the centenary of the battle, which saw almost 60,000 casualties on the first day, July 1, 1916, people across the county have been remembering the bravery of those who fought in the conflict.

Mr Luscombe Elliot, 87, who lives in Abingdon with wife Jane, has been reflecting on the short life of Second Lieutenant Wilfred Edmund Elliot.

The Second Lieutenant was born in Kingsbridge, South Devon on March 25, 1892, and joined the Devon Yeomanry in 1914, before switching to the 5th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment.

He lost his life aged 24 during fighting at Mouquet Farm, Thiepval, France, in the Battle of the Somme.

Mr Luscombe Elliot said: "My uncle was badly wounded and killed by shellfire in the battle.

"His grave is unknown, but there is a memorial to him at Kingsbridge church and his name is on the Thiepval Memorial.

"We visited the memorial and found his name there – it was very moving.

"My uncle was one of thousands of brave men who lost their lives in France and I think it's only right that people have been paying tribute to them."

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme battlefields bears the names of 72,194 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces.

These men died in the Somme battle sector before March 20, 1918, and have no known grave.

Over 90 per cent of those commemorated on the memorial died in the Battle of the Somme between July and November 1916.

Father-of-two and grandfather-of-five Mr Luscombe Elliot completed his national service in the Royal Navy when he was 18.

He then worked for a number of advertising agencies in London and Birmingham before working for the National Health Service in the Midlands as an administrator.

Mr Luscombe Elliot was also appointed High Sheriff of Staffordshire for the year 2000.

Following Mr Luscombe Elliot's retirement in 1999 he and his wife Jane lived in Dorset for 12 years before moving to Abingdon in 2011.

Mr Luscombe Elliot, who visited the Thiepval Memorial with his wife in September 1997, added: "It's very moving to see everyone coming together at the ceremonies being held there – it's only right that these brave men are not forgotten.

"We owe them an indescribable amount for their heroism – we would certainly recommend that anyone who gets the chance, including young people, should visit the battlefields and the Thiepval Memorial."