IF there is one man who can convey to our children the sacrifice made by soldiers on the front line, it is Colonel Richard Kemp.

Having been commander of British forces in Afghanistan in 2003, and served in many other military campaigns during his Army career, the former Colchester Royal Grammar School pupil has more recently played an instrumental part in a momentous project.

Retiree Col Kemp is chairman of the grammar school’s alumni association, The Old Colcestrian Society, which has worked with school archivist Laurie Holmes and pupils to chart the rise and fall of the school’s First World War heroes.

The four-year project, led by Ms Holmes, has now culminated in a book, called None Have Done Better.

As part of the research, the group has endeavoured to visit the graveside of every single one of the school’s 80 war dead.

Col Kemp said: “It was Laurie’s idea that as many as possible of the war graves of former pupils and former staff were visited during the centenary years of 2014 to 2018. Virtually all of the graves have been visited now.

“The principal ones that haven’t are in Syria and Iraq – we haven’t been to these countries as it is not practical to go and visit.

“I visited graves in Jerusalem and Australia.

“People visited the graves, planted crosses on them on behalf of the school and took photographs and some of those have been included in this book.

“One of the teachers was an officer in the fusiliers and had identified all the graves from school who belonged to those who served with his former regiment and visited them.”

One of the soldiers paid tribute to by Col Kemp in Perth, Australia, was Jack Flux, who died during the war’s Gallipoli campaign in his early twenties.

He had enlisted when he was living in the country after he left the grammar school.

Like many soldiers, Jack is remembered on a memorial as many did not have graves.

Col Kemp added: “The reality of many of these people is nobody is alive today who knew them.

“Many of them are forgotten because their families have possibly died out or they haven’t been remembered, so it is incredibly important that what they did for us is remembered by this book and physically going to and making the effort to visit their graves.

“They gave everything for us. If it hadn’t been for their sacrifices and of other soldiers, we would not be able to live with the freedom and prosperity we live with today.”

He continued: “The great thing about this book is it will be read by people today and handed down to successive generations who will also read about these people.

“Each person who died has a short biography in the book and we say what they did at school etc, and in most cases there is an account of how they died.”

Col Kemp said the internet had proven to be a great tool in their research, including ahead of his visit to Jack Flux’s memorial.

“I was able to go and find out when he left Australia, found out what ship he left on for Egypt. All the information was available. It was something even his family would probably never have known about.”

In total 80 former students and staff died during the Great War.

Other projects at the school have included a memorial garden and on the anniversary of each boy’s death, poppies are planted.

Many pupils have also taken trips abroad to follow in their forbearer’s footsteps, including Jack Ridge, who visited Versailles, in France, with several fellow sixth form students.

They followed the journey of Alfred Norfolk, a former pupil from Nayland, born in 1888.

As they traced his journey from his hometown, where Norfolk is an influential family name, to his graveside, they gained an appreciation of the man they never thought possible.

Norfolk was wounded in the Second Battle of Ypres in May 1915, later succumbing to his injuries. He is buried in Les Gonards Cemetery, in Versailles.

Jack said: “Once we found Alfred Norfolk’s grave, there was a sense of connection with this man that none of us ever knew – the strong bond shared between all Old Colcestrians and members of the school family.

“At the foot of Norfolk’s grave it reads, ‘Always remembered in the old home Nayland, Colchester’.

“For me, this reinforced the strong sense of connection towards the First World War we had felt when we visited Nayland.

“After taking a few minutes to reflect and think about where we were and what we were seeing, we cleaned the foot of the grave before laying the crosses from both the people of Nayland and the school.

“Walking away from the grave and seeing the two crosses we planted in Alfred’s memory, our journey was complete.

“Hopefully everyone who now comes to Les Gonards will see the symbol of our journey made on behalf of the school and the people of Nayland – the two crosses each representing two important parts of Alfred Norfolk’s life – his home village and the school.”

One former pupil, Ronald Horwood, was among the scores killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Sheltered in a shell hole with his close friend Lieutenant Chawner, fire and hell reigning all around him, Lieutenant Horwood rose and charged the enemy.

He was within 20 yards of the German line when he was shot dead. He was just 22.

His close friend later wrote to his fallen comrade’s father. He said: “A nicer fellow in all the world there could not have been. He died a hero.”

Another fellow officer said of Lieutenant Horwood: “I have been soldiering with your boy for nearly a year now and I know what a good fellow he was.

“He was always thinking about his men and their comfort, as a matter of fact it was so noticeable that we others used to chip him about it. He was always thinking of his platoon.

“I cannot tell you how he died, but from what I know of him I am sure he was doing his duty up to the last.”

Ronald Horwood was living with his family in Victoria Road, Colchester, when he was entered into CRGS.

He excelled in sport, playing both football and cricket and representing the school as part of the Rifle Club.

At the outbreak of the war, he enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles, serving for six months as a private and corporal before becoming a second lieutenant in the Essex Regiment 3rd Battalion.

His parents had the poignant words “Until The Day Break” inscribed on his headstone.

The book’s title, None Have Done Better, comes from a speech made by former grammar school head master Percy Shaw Jeffrey, who led the school during the First World War years.

It reflects on the school’s contribution to the war effort.

The also contains short essays about the war, campaigns pupils fought in and input from Colchester historian Andrew Phillips.

The project was funded by The Old Colcestrians and is available to buy through the Amazon website or at the Red Lion Bookshop, High Street, Colchester.