Oldham men with Needham surname sought in bid to identify First World War soldier

Private Arnold Needham was born in Oldham in 1897 before emigrating to Australia and was killed during the Battle of Fromelles in France in July 1916.

The Fromelles Association of Australia is trying to find a living male relative from Arnold's wider paternal Needham family who could provide DNA to assist efforts to identify his remains.

Arnold was born in Oldham on 10 August 1897, the youngest son of Walter and Elizabeth Needham.

His father, who had worked as a bookkeeper and grocer, died in 1907. Arnold later emigrated to Australia with his mother and brother Leo.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at the age of 18 and, after training in Egypt, travelled to France with the 54th Battalion.

Arnold fought in the Battle of Fromelles on 19 and 20 July 1916, where he was killed and listed among the missing.

According to the association, German records confirmed that his body was recovered from the battlefield but its final location was unknown.

A mass grave containing 250 Australian and British soldiers buried by German forces was discovered at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles, in 2008.

An identification programme using historical research and DNA analysis has since identified 181 of the soldiers, according to the association.

Arnold had no children, so researchers are looking further along his paternal family line.

The association says a living male descendant of the wider Needham line could carry Y-chromosome DNA which could be used in efforts to establish whether Arnold is among the unidentified soldiers.

Carla Miller, from the Fromelles Association of Australia, said: “Arnold's story began in Oldham. If you are a male Needham or know someone with the Needham surname whose family originated in Oldham or the surrounding area, we would love to hear from you.”

Anyone who believes they may be connected to Arnold's paternal Needham family can contact the association at [email protected].

Further information about Arnold and photographs from his childhood are available at https://fromelles.info/soldiers/4946-private-arnold-needham/