An historian has written to the Queen and Prime Minister in a bid to win recognition for a dead war hero.

Stephen Nunn hopes to secure a posthumous Victoria Cross for Maldon teenager Ben Cobey, who was killed in action in the Battle of Mons in France in August 1914.

He was one of four horse-mounted soldiers, who had been pulling guns away from the battle line after being ordered to retreat, following 12 hours of fighting German forces.

The other three soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross, the country’s highest military decoration for valour in the face of the enemy.

But Ben, 19, was missed out because the Government did not want dead heroes.