Alleyn's Alumnus 2Lt Ablett Honoured in ITV Show

Alleyn's alumnus, 2Lt LW Ablett was recently the focus of ITV's Long Lost Family Special: The Unknown Soldiers.

Produced by Wall to Wall productions and broadcast on Monday 18 July, the show follows Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell as they join forces with the 'War Detectives' from the MoD's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre to investigate the largest group of casualties ever found together in a trench.

DNA proves that one of the casualties is 2Lt Ablett, who attended Alleyn's School from 1908 to 1913 before becoming a clerk and then enlisting in the British Expeditionary Force as a rifleman after the outbreak of the First World War. He died in action in 1917, during the Third Battle of Ypres.

The show tells the story of the efforts to identify Ablett and to trace his family, alongside those of the other bodies found alongside him. The episode can be viewed on ITV Player until 18 October 2022.

Alleyn's School Archivist, Nicola Waddington, said: "It has been a real privilege to to work with 2Lt Ablett's family, the MOD, Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Wall to Wall productions in order to bring this poignant story to life. The journey highlights the deeper value of the Alleyn's School archive and reminds us that historical artefacts are part of a real life story and that history connects to the current day, every day. Even after they leave us, members of our community are 'Always Alleyn's', as indeed are their families. Our WW1 commemorative website, marking the lives of those alumni who participated in the Great War, is testament to this."

You can visit the Alleyn's WW1 Commemorative Website at ww1.alleyns.org.uk