FIRST world war veteran Harry France came through at least two major campaigns unscathed.

Then as the former pit boy was in France waiting to go home on leave a German aircraft circled overhead and dropped a bomb which put Harry out of action and in hospital.

During his convalescence the Lancashire Fusilier was given a therapeutical task to embroider a khaki cover bearing his regiment's colours which is where Harry's nephew Bryan Hughes of Stanley Street, Atherton steps in to relate the story.

"Harry France was born in 1894 in Daisy Hill and left the village school to work part-time in the pit," said Mr Hughes,.

"He enlisted in 1915 and served in at last two of the major campaigns in France and luckily came through without a wound. On parade in France and waiting to go home on leave he told me of a German aircraft circling over, the type where they threw the bombs over the side.

"Harry caught some of the blast and later the covers were given to soldiers to embroider. He must have been fit to leave before this work was finished as one of the leaves is incomplete."

After the war ended Harry married Nancy Marsh. they had two children and they spent the rest of their lives in Car Bank Street at Atherton.

Harry spent all his working life as a fitter's mate with Lancashire United Transport at Howe Bridge depot but he never talked much about his life in the trenches.

Mr Hughes recalled:"He almost never mentioned the war. When sometimes he would play with my toy soldiers I remember asking 'Did you ever shoot anyone?". The reply was always the same.

"'Oh, you only see a moving object in the distance'. But there was much more hidden away.

"His sister Lily, my aunt, told me of his occasional furlongs. When he was at home she would delouse the seams of his uniform with a candle.

"Uncle Harry retained just a slight speech impediment, almost unnoticeable due to some form of shell shock, perhaps due to his wound."

Now Mr Hughes intends to present the partially completed embroidery and a photograph of his uncle Harry in Army uniform to the Lancashire Fusiliers Museum at Bury. The museum has only two examples of such soldiers' work but not with a photograph of the man who made it.

One downside of Harry's good fortune in surviving the Great War is that the museum has scant information about him. Had he perished in action his nephew believes there would be much more known about his wartime service.

Harry lived until his late 80s and was a life-long member of St Phillip's Church at Atherton.

If any distant relatives or people who knew Harry France can provide any further information about him Mr Hughes would like to hear from them and be glad to pass on the details when he presents the items to the museum.

You can reach him on 01942 888745.