Local heroes

Back in November as a tribute for Remembrance Sunday we listed the names on the War Memorial in Church Road, Leyland.

It was great then to hear recently from a relative of two of the soldiers named on the memorial who found the names and image on our website and who then provided further details of his family -Harry Bowman Jackson and Will Jackson.

Harry B Jackson, pictured left, was working with the Leyland Paint and Varnish company in South Africa at the outbreak of the war. He served with the 4th Regiment South African Infantry (South African Scottish). Having gone through the war he unfortunately died of Spanish Flu just 4 weeks before the Armistice.

Harry and his brother Will died within a week of each other in barracks down in Woking in October 1918. Here they are together in South Africa around the outbreak of the War.

Many thanks to Paul, grandson of Harry Bowman Jackson, for the information and photos.

Paul's dad grew up in a house on Bow Lane. He went to Liverpool university but left in 1939 to join the army and was a despatch rider with the Border Regiment and escaped from Dunkirk by the skin of his teeth. He then joined the RASC and ended the war in East Africa and then was part of the British Military Mission to Ethiopia until 1947 or so.

Paul was born in Africa and his family remained there until 1972 and eventually settled in Lincolnshire but Paul is proud of his Lancashire and Leyland roots.

You can read an article Paul wrote about his dad's WW2 experience over at the BBC People's War website

Other members of Paul's family also served the Leyland community. One of his grandfather's older brothers was Fred "Pop" Jackson who was headmaster of Balshaw's School in the 1920s -Paul's dad Allan Jackson was a pupil there at the same time.

Great Grandfather, Levi Jackson, also a teacher, taught at St James' School Moss Side and was also a Councillor on Leyland Urban Council at some time-around 1909 representing St James' Ward.

Paul's great grandfather on his grandmother's side was Thomas Williams and he was a chief inspector of police possibly based at Chapel Brow police station.

Once again, a big thank you to Paul for providing a slice of Leyland history and to the Jackson family for service to Leyland.