Britain’s youngest World War One soldier - who ran away from home to join the army aged 12 - signed up in Kingston, it has been discovered.

Sidney Lewis was this week recognised by the Imperial War Museum (IWM) as the youngest fighter on record to take part in the 1914-1918 conflict, spending six weeks battling at The Somme before being discharged at the request of his mother.

The courageous youngster left his home in Tooting in August 1915 and enlisted in the East Surreys Regiment in Kingston.

He received six months training before being sent to the Western Front in France in 1916, fighting with the 106th Machine Gun Company.

But he was discharged after his mother, Fanny, sent a letter to the War Office with a copy of his birth certificate.

Undetterred, he re-enlisted for the Second World War in 1939, working in a bomb disposal unit.

Anthony Richards, head of documents and sound at the IWM, said: “This is certainly the youngest First World War soldier that we hold documents for in IWM’s archives.

“His story is quite phenomenal, not only did he enlist at the age of 12 and fight on the Somme at the age of 13, but he returned to service at the end of the First World War and worked in bomb disposal during the Second World War.

“He was obviously a very tenacious man and undeterred by his early experiences.”

Pte Lewis’ story was covered by national newspapers at the time, but has only now have been confirmed following documents sent to the IWM by his son Colin.

Sydney Lewis died in 1969.