The location of the grave of Louis Rivett, an international volunteer and a member of the Friends' Ambulance Unit who died while in service in 1946, is close to being found in Southwest China's Chongqing.

The discovery was made by a fellow Charterhouse School alumnus, Nick Townsend, on Monday with the help of two books and an old map.

"It is a pity that I couldn't find the exact burial ground of Louis due to the changes of the landscape," Townsend said in an interview with a local newspaper, Chongqing Morning Post.

Charterhouse School alumnus Nick Townsend gives two books about the Friends Ambulance Unit and Charterhouse School to Du Jie, deputy chief of Chongqing Guangyi Middle School, on March 25, 2019. Ambulance service member Louis Rivett is believed to be buried on a hill at the school in 1946. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"But I know his cemetery is within 100 meters," he added.

Townsend said Rivett, who died of illness at the age of 29, is likely buried on a hill at Chongqing Guangyi Middle School, next to another member of the ambulance unit who was from Canada.

Townsend said he installed two small commemorative markers at the rough location with the names and the death dates of the two.

He also said he would keep in touch with the local middle school and continue to locate the exact burial place.

"Those stories and history should be recorded," Townsend said.

A group picture features Louis Rivett, who studied at the Charterhouse School from 1931-35. During World War II, he went to China in 1945 with the Friends Ambulance Unit to carry out relief work and died of illness in Southwest China’s Chongqing on Aug 31, 1946 at age 29. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Townsend's search is part of an effort to look for the burial sites of over 1,000 Charterhouse alumni who died during World Wars I and II. Over the past 15 years, 10 alumni have joined the global search and successfully found the cemeteries where over 700 graduates are buried. Charterhouse was founded in 1611 in the UK.

Founded in 1914, the Friends' Ambulance Unit was a volunteer service. During 1941-46 when China was involved in World War II, over 200 young people from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and other countries joined the ambulance unit and came to China to provide medical assistance to the Chinese army and civilians. Eight died in China.

It is estimated that at that time 80 percent of medical supplies to China were distributed by the ambulance unit.

But this part of history remains largely unknown to the public.

Nick Townsend searches through the undergrowth for the burial place of his fellow Charterhouse School alumnus and international volunteer Louis Rivett on a hill at southwest China’s Chongqing Guangyi Middle School, on March 25, 2019. [Photo provided to China Daily]