The heart-breaking story of an Oswestry soldier has been revealed after a new housing estate was named in his honour.

Charles Clifford Judge was killed in action in Flanders in 1916.

However, he will be remembered after the Wrekin Housing Trust revealed ‘Judge Meadow’ will be the name of its development on the former leisure centre site off College Road.

Steve Swann, development manager for The Trust, said: “Judge Meadow is a poignant name for our new development.

“Sadly, Charles Clifford Judge lost his life at just 20 years old. However, it’s a fitting tribute to mark his life at the centenary of his death.

“We hope the new residents will be interested to hear the story behind the name Judge Meadows.”

The story of Private Judge has been revealed after Shropshire Council, which chooses the names of new roads and developments across the county, researched his life.

Born in Crewe, he was the son of the late Frederick and Louisa Judge, of York Street, Oswestry, and was employed on the Cambrian Railway – which passed through the development site – as a boilersmith.

He enlisted in Oswestry and Private Judge was a member of the 5th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.

Sadly, he was killed in action in Flanders on August 24, 1916, at the age of just 20.

His name was chosen from the Oswestry Cambrian Railway War Memorial, which is based in Cae Glas Park, last year to mark 100 years since his death. As he doesn’t have a grave, the prefix ‘meadow’ was chosen.

However, he is commemorated in Oswestry and also at the Thiepval Memorial in Somme.