A hero of the First World War, whose body lay unidentified for 102 years, has finally been given a named gravestone.

Reginald Clarence Rogers was born on March 3, 1889, at Wye, near Ashford, and was the youngest of six children to Frederick and Florence Rogers.

Reginald Rogers worked first as a baker’s assistant before enlisting with the Royal Marine Light Infantry in September 1906 at the age of 17.

He trained at Deal and was appointed to the Chatham Division, and by 1911 had been promoted to Corporal.

Even before the First World War, he had seen service in India, Gibraltar and Hong Kong.

Following the outbreak of war on August 4, 1914, Cpl Rogers was posted with the Royal Marine Brigade to Ostende, to Dunkirk, and then to the defence of Antwerp in October that year.

He was promoted to Sergeant in October 1914, and again to Acting Company Sergeant-Major in May 1917.

In late April 1917, he was awarded the Military Medal (MM), for “very good service with the guides in bringing up both the Essex Regiment and the 1/RMLI to the jumping off line at Gavrelle”.

He was killed in action during Operation Michael, fighting a rearguard action covering the Army’s withdrawal to Hamel, at the crossing of the River Ancre on March 26, 1918.

In the chaos of that action, his body was lost.

Five years later, in 1923, the body of a Company Sergeant Major of the Royal Marine Light Infantry was recovered on the banks of the Ancre, but at the time could not be personally identified.

The body was buried in Plot 5, Row E, Grave 25, of the Serre Road No.2 War Graves Cemetery, near Picardy in France.

But researchers have never given up trying to identify the many unknown fallen soldiers, and this month the Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirmed that the body in Grave 25 was that of CSM Rogers.

Their conclusion was based not on DNA tests, but on meticulous examination of Army records that eventually placed CSM Rogers at the scene where the body was found, and gradually ruled out all the other possible casualties it could have been.

A rededication service was held at the graveside last month, where a new headstone bearing his name has been placed.

The service was led by Staff Chaplain John Money RN, with members of CSM Rogers' family present.

The Royal Marines were represented by WO2 Steven Randell, who read the Exhortation and Corps Prayer.

LCpl Ross Budden of the Band of the Royal Marines sounded the Last Post and Reveille, and Major Gareth Stevens and Captain Nick Stone RN attended the service to represent the British Embassy.

CSN Rogers had married Mabel Grace Annie Mills, of 52 Castle Hill Avenue, in Folkestone, in January 1915.

The couple had no children, and she never remarried, dying in 1959.

CSM Rogers had three brothers, one of whom, Archibald, born in 1886, served with the Royal Garrison Artillery. He also died in the war in France, killed on November 26, 1916.

He is buried at Courcelles-au-Bois, less than five miles from where Reginald fell.

Alexia Clark, a caseworker for the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) said: “I am grateful to the researchers. Their work has led us to recognise the final resting place of CSM Rogers and to restore his name to him and to allow his family to honour his sacrifice.”