Relatives paid their respects as their Union Flag-draped coffins were carried by members of the -1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers to graves alongside -fallen comrades in nearby Tyne -Cot Cemetery. A gun salute was fired at the -ceremony, attended by the Duke -of Kent, 86, president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Remains of eight -soldiers were found three years ago during civil engineering works. The ninth was found separately.

       Seven from the 11th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers were identified from personal items.

       They included south Londoners 2nd Lt Leslie Ablett, 20, of Streatham and 2nd Lt Edward Bruty, 21, from Dulwich; Sgt Thomas Feasby, 32, of Eston; LCpl Stanley Blakeborough, 21, from Pateley Bridge and Pte Harry Miller, 28, of Burton Leonard – all North Yorkshire.

       Also buried yesterday were Pte Joseph Patrickson, 24, of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear and Pte Arnold Sanderson, 26, from Darlington, Co Durham – both won the Military Medal.

       An eighth set of remains was interred as Unknown Soldier of the Northumberland Fusiliers and the final grave was marked Unknown Soldier of the Great War.

       Some 275,000 soldiers under British command were killed or wounded during the battle.