A UNIVERSITY student is hoping to rediscover the person behind the war memorial which stands at the Red Cross headquarters – and is appealing to Knutsford residents for help.

Maria Graham, a University of Reading student, is writing her Masters dissertation on commemorations linked to The First World War, and came across the Knutsford War Memorial during her research.

The unique story behind the statue’s origins caught her attention, and she is determined to find out more about Haron Baronian, the soldier it was commissioned in memory of.

Maria, who is studying history of art, said: “There are a lot of quite significant statues from the war, but life-sized memorials are incredibly few and far between, and I feel he’s special.

“It’s pretty unusual and it’s nice that Knutsford have taken the statue on.”

The statue was commissioned by Haron’s family after he was killed in Mesopotamia on April 11, 1917, and it stood in the garden of Brae Cottage, on Legh Road, the family home until the early 1930s.

Haron, who was aged 21 when he fell in the firing line, was the second son of Armenian Zarch, a cotton merchant trading with China, and Shushan Baronian.

He had four brothers, Stephen Iplicjian, Isaac Armen, Martin Gladstone, and Charles Spencer, who left Knutsford for New York, Canada, and New Zealand respectively, after the war.

It is believed that Charles and Martin may have stayed in New Zealand for the rest of their lives, but Stephen and Isaac returned home after several years abroad.

However, little is known about their whereabouts from the late 1920s on, and the only remaining sibling still living in Knutsford, Tacouchie, also know as Queenie, Haron’s sister, took on the responsibility for the memorial.

After a temporary stay at Booths Hall, Queenie, who lived in Bexton Road before her death in 1991, donated the statue, which was sculpted by Hamo Thornycroft, to the Cottage Hospital in 1977.

It was stated on Queenie’s obituary that she was survived by nephews and cousins, and Maria is eager to get in contact with any remaining family members who may be able offer some information.

Maria said: “No-one seems to have further information about the sculpture and also no-one I met knew that it represented an individual.

“It would be lovely to get more information, especially with the centenary of the start of the First World War coming up, and give him back his name.”

If you have any information regarding the Baronian family please contact Maria 0776 171 2085 or email her at m.graham@student.reading.ac.uk.