War memorial protest from heroes' family

David Ainsworth, whose great uncles are among around 100 names on the Dunscar war memorial, has joined those who have reacted furiously to plans to move it so that new homes can be built.

Developer Stephen Fitton wants to build 11 executive homes houses on land at the junction of Blackburn Road and Darwen Road and clear the way by moving the memorial to a site around 50 yards away.

The move has sparked anger among residents who say it would be an insult to the thousands who sacrificed their lives during their First World War. More than 1,000 people have signed a petition opposing the plans.

Mr Ainsworth has accused Mr Fitton of profiteering at the expense of the memory of young men who sacrificed their lives during the First World War.

"In three generations it seems that people have forgotten what these men, and all of those who fought in war, have done for us," he said.

"The only way this makes sense is from a profit-making point of view."

Mr Ainsworth's uncles lost their lives during fierce battles in trenches across France and Belgium during Europe's bloodiest conflict.

Both the men were killed in 1918, just months before the war ended when they would have returned to their mother's home on Darwen Road - only yards from where the 83-year-old memorial stands.

The younger of the pair, Harry Riley Taylor, was aged just 19 when he was killed at Amiens, France, while serving in the Royal Field Artillery.

He had left his job at a local farm just four months earlier to fight by his brother's side.

The conflict left their mother, Edna Taylor, without any sons when it claimed the life of 21-year-old Thomas Taylor just 10 days before the war came to an end.

Thomas had served three and-a-half years with the Rifle Brigade on the front line in France after leaving his job as a postman in Bolton.

The war left hundreds of women across Bolton without husbands, brothers and sons and, because of her losses, Mrs Taylor was invited to open a new war memorial at Walmsley Church.

Mr Ainsworth, aged 52, of Packer Street, Halliwell, today said the proposals to move the Dunscar memorial would devalue the efforts of those it remembers and the anguish their families suffered.

Mr Ainsworth added: "There are more than 100 names on the memorial and I'm sure there must be people who don't know that their relatives names are remembered, so I feel duty bound to help stop the plan to move it from happening from happening.

"The impression I get is that these people have very quickly been forgotten for what they did."

A RELATIVE of two war heroes immortalised on a memorial under threat from developers has warned: "You move it over my dead body."

David Ainsworth, whose great uncles are among around 100 names on the Dunscar war memorial, has joined those who have reacted furiously to plans to move it so that new homes can be built.

Developer Stephen Fitton wants to build 11 executive homes houses on land at the junction of Blackburn Road and Darwen Road and clear the way by moving the memorial to a site around 50 yards away.

The move has sparked anger among residents who say it would be an insult to the thousands who sacrificed their lives during their First World War. More than 1,000 have signed a petition opposing the plans.

Mr Ainsworth has accused Mr Fitton of profiteering at the expense of the memory of young men who sacrificed their lives during the First World War.

"In three generations it seems that people have forgotten what these men, and all of those who fought in war, have done for us," he said.

"The only way this makes sense is from a profit-making point of view."

Mr Ainsworth's uncles lost their lives during fierce battles in trenches across France and Belgium during Europe's bloodiest conflict.

Both the men were killed in 1918, just months before the war ended when they would have returned to their mother's home on Darwen Road-- only yards from where the 83-year-old memorial stands.

The younger of the pair, Harry Riley Taylor, was aged just 19 when he was killed at Amiens, France, while serving in the Royal Field Artillery.

He had left his job at a local farm just four months earlier to fight by his brother's side.

The conflict left their mother, Edna Taylor, without any sons when it claimed the life of 21-year-old Thomas Taylor just 10 days before the war came to an end.

Thomas had served three and-a-half years with the Rifle Brigade on the front line in France after leaving his job as a postman in Bolton.

The war left hundreds of women across Bolton without husbands, brothers and sons and, because of her losses, Mrs Taylor was invited to open a new war memorial at Walmsley Church.

Mr Ainsworth, aged 52, of Packer Street, Halliwell, today said the proposals to move the Dunscar memorial would devalue the efforts of those it remembers and the anguish their families suffered.

Mr Ainsworth added: "There are more than 100 names on the memorial and I'm sure there must be people who don't know that their relatives names are remembered, so I feel duty bound to help stop the plan to move it from happening from happening.

"The impression I get is that these people have very quickly been forgotten for what they did."