THE only Witney woman to die in the First World War could become the final name on the town's memorial to the conflict.

Lucy Harris enlisted in the women's RAF in October 1918, but died of pneumonia 16 days later on November 1 - just 10 days before the war ended.

She was buried in the town, but her family declined the chance for Ms Harris to have her grave marked by a Commonwealth War Graves (CWG) headstone and her name is absent from memorials around Witney.

This includes the town’s war memorial in Church Green, which just happens to have space left for one more name on it.

Now historian Jeff Clements is pushing for Ms Harris's name to fill that final space.

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He said: "It's quite poignant that there's one space left and it's not unprecedented that names are added later on. She's entitled to it like everyone else.

"I don't think we could do better than honouring our one female military casualty of the Great War by remembering her there."

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Mr Clements, who grew up in Witney but now lives in Bicester, first found out about Ms Harris when writing his 2013 book, The men on the war memorials of Witney, Crawley and Hailey, Volume 1: 1914-1919.

It is believed she was born in the Newland area of the town in 1887 as the illegitimate daughter of a laundress, Emily Haley.

Ms Harris went to the original Cogges School and was listed as a blanket weaver on the 1911 census, but she moved to London in 1917 after marrying Percy Harris of Forest Gate, Lewisham.

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Her death certificate suggests she was ill with influenza when she joined the WRAF on October 16, 1918 and she died, with her body brought home to Witney.

She was buried at St Mary's Church, Cogges - in the same plot as her mother, Mr Clements believes - but the grave is now unmarked and is not on the churchyard plan.

It is unknown why Ms Harris's family declined the CWG headstone, but she is the only woman from Witney on the CWG commission's website.

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Mr Clements asked Witney Town Council to commemorate Ms Harris and the item will be on the agenda at the council's halls and green spaces committee on September 9, with any resolution going to full council on October 7.

Luci Ashbourne, the council's deputy leader, said: “The council is delighted to have the opportunity to discuss the possibilities of commemorating the contribution by Lucy Harris.

"Lucy signed up to the RAF as soon as women were able to, and died under tragic circumstances, so it is fitting that we have the chance to explore whether, and how to commemorate her in a meaningful way.