The grave site of a lieutenant killed in World War Two has just been discovered - more than 75 years after he died in action.

The Ministry of Defence is now “urgently” trying to track down the family of the man, who are thought to live in Croydon.

Second Lieutenant Lawrence Strawson was 24 years old when he was killed fighting to help with the evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk on May 21, 1940.

Mr Strawson, son of Ivan Vincent Strawson and brother of Violet Strawson, was a member of Coulsdon Hockley club.

He was born in Nice, France, on December 3, 1915.

The 24-year-old went to school at Salesian College in Farnborough and was a member of the South London Amateur Dramatics Society.

He enlisted in the Territorial Army in January 1937 and joined the Artists’ Rifles as a Private.

The solider was posted to the eighth Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and sent to France on January 11, 1940.

Later that year, On May 21, 1940 he was listed as “missing, presumed killed.”

21 May 1940, he was listed as “missing presumed killed”.

Mr Stawson’s burial place had remained unknown, until the grave of an unknown 2nd Lieutenant buried in Calonne Cemetery, Belgium, was brought to the attention of the Ministry of Defence.

An extensive historical research into this unknown grave and the circumstances surrounding Lawrence’s death took place.

And it was then decided that the unknown soldier is Mr Strawson.

A new headstone will be installed on the grave.

Nicola Nash, from the MoD’s joint casualty and compassionate centre, said: “Lawrence’s records give us some valuable information about him but we have been unable to trace any living relatives.

“We know he was a production manager before he enlisted and that his last known address was in Montpelier Road, Surrey.

“The whole family appear to be living in the Croydon/Surrey area at this time.

“We can see from letters in his service record that his sister, Violet, was desperate to find out what happened to her brother.”