Violin left unfinished by WW1 soldier played at his grave 100 years on as chance discovery reunites his family

When Private Richard Howard began building his violin, he surely hoped he would be returning from the battlefield to play it. 

But sadly he was killed on the first day of the Battle of Messines before he ever had the chance.

Now 100 years later, the violin - carefully completed after being found - has been played at his grave. 

What is more, the recovery of the instrument has even reunited members of his distant family who never even knew he existed. 

Among those present at the ceremony was his granddaughter Mary Sterry, who wrote a poem in tribute to the grandfather she has only recently discovered.

Pte Howard, a luthier and music hall performer in Leeds, started making the instrument in 1915, before he was conscripted into the 10th battalion, the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding), later that year at the age of 35.

Much of the violin's 94-year history before it was bought by folk musician Sam Sweeney in 2009 remains a mystery, other than the fact that it was left in pieces until luthier Roger Claridge bought it at auction and completed it in his workshop. 

When Mr Sweeney bought the violin it had the appearance of a new instrument - but the label inside with the date 1915 alongside the name 'Richard S Howard' prompted the musician and his curious father to look into its origin.

Mr Sweeney, 28, who is a violinist in the folk band Bellowhead, said through their research "we found out where his grave was and found out exactly when he died and which battle". 

Pte Howard was married with a daughter, Mrs Sterry's mother Rose, before his early death, but his relatives were completely unaware of their ancestor's story before Mr Sweeney brought it to light.

Mrs Sterry said: "I knew nothing at all about my grandfather... I was very interested to learn about him because I had heard nothing except 'your grandfather died in the war'. 

"People in those days didn't talk about it for fear of upsetting someone. My mother [Rose] was 11 when he died. I have to say the news when it got to me just blew me away, I was so excited. 

"The consequences from it have been so great... It feels as if I have more validation; I was more secure knowing more about who I was". 

Around 100 people, including some of Pte Howard's relatives, gathered at his graveside in Ypres to hear Mr Sweeney play his violin on Tuesday, the eve of the 100th anniversary of his death.

Mrs Sterry said it was "completely fantastic", saying it had changed her "in lots of small ways", including meeting new relatives.

Mr Sweeney said it had been an "incredibly special" day, adding "what's amazing is people who have nothing to do with Pte Howard have come up to me and Mary and said I will leave flowers for this man".

He said: "His granddaughter did a reading of a poem she wrote about him. It was very moving.

"It's amazing - his family has been reunited because of this violin."

Mr Sweeney has been telling the instrument's story in his show, Made in the Great War, which he is touring across the UK until 11 June.

"If you read the visitor book in the Ypres cemetery there are lots of people who have come to see his grave because they have seen the show," he added.