Principally, the search is on for one Trooper George Richard Pearson, formerly a lance corporal with C Squadron with the 11th Hussars, part of the Royal Armoured Corps.

He was born in Hunslet on August 28, 1919 and died aged just 21 on December 14, 1940 near Tobruk, following an attack by enemy aircraft.

He had crossed the Egyptian-Libyan border when the attack took place some time between 8am and 9am. Trooper Pearson had been driving the squadron leader's Ford utility car.

David Eason, of Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, decided to compile the roll of honour because of his own involvement in the Royal Hussars. The roll of honour, which will comprise a list of fallen soldiers, will be donated to military museums around the country.

Mr Eason, 47, served in the British Army, joining aged 17½ in 1979. He was a corporal with the Royal Hussars and served in Belize and in the 1991 Gulf War.

He said: "I have the honour and the privilege of writing the 'Roll of Honour' for the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) 1939-1945. It will be the first-ever written memorial dedicated to the 163 members and the four attached personnel of the Regiment who sadly never came back.

Relatives

"Amongst their number is one Lance Corporal Trooper George Richard Pearson, son of James Alfred and Phyllis Libbie (nee Laskey) Pearson, of 56 Neville Garth, Leeds.

"He is commemorated with honour on column 20 of the El Alamein War Memorial, Egypt. I am trying to trace relatives or descendants of George for information and photographs to include within George's entry in the roll of honour, as well as trying to trace any village memorials there might be commemorating George.

"I also want to find family members to offer them the opportunity to write and have included their own dedication to George which will conclude George's entry in the roll of honour.

"If I can trace George's family, the information obtained will help me to get George recognised and commemorated as he should have been 69 years ago."

The 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own (P.A.O) 'Cherrypickers') has a history dating back to 1715. On August 16, 1914 the 11th landed in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force and were involved in typical cavalry operations at the battles of Mons, Le Cateau, Nery, Marne and Aisne.

Like the other Cavalry Regiments the 11th were employed as infantry in the trenches, until the later stages of the war when the 11th returned to their mounted role leading the allied armies into Germany.

Mr Eason added: "I am also looking for the following: Sgt Reginald Peter Atkinson, of Bay Horse Inn, Cherry Burton, Beverley, who died aged 28 on April 17, 1945; Trooper Kenneth Mower, of Harehills, Leeds, who died aged 24 on October 27, 1944 and Trooper Ronald Sanderson, of 79 Alison Crescent, Sheffield, who died on August 2, 1944.

Legacy

"No one has ever compiled all the names like this before and I thought it was worthwhile doing for that reason and because it's important to preserve their legacy for future generations."

Mr Eason can be contacted by email on husrollho@yahoo.co.uk, or by calling 07896 201176.


New light on fire history

The story of Leeds Fire Brigade, as told by one of its late members, is to form part of a new book to mark the 150th anniversary of the service.

Ernie Kendrew, who died in 1999 aged 51, served as a fireman for 32 years and retired as watch manager at Bramley.

After he retired, he researched the origins of the Leeds Fire Service and recorded his work in several volumes. The brigade was eventually absorbed into the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Kendrew died without seeing his work published but thanks in part to Yorkshire Diary it looks set to see the light of day.

Mr Kendrew's former colleague Allen Ward spotted a piece in Yorkshire Diary about the infamous Leeds 'Fire King', Superintendent Henry Richard Baker, and it prompted him to get in touch with Mr Kendrew's widow Mauveen and fire historian Chris Smith, with a view to publishing the work.

Mrs Kendrew, 59, said: "Ernie spent many a happy hour researching the history. It was something he was very passionate about and I am thrilled to bits his work is going to be used in a book."

Mr Ward, 69, who also served in the fire service for more than 30 years, said: "Ernie was like a father to his men. The service was like a second family to him"

Howard Whitaker, 64, also a former colleague of Mr Kendrew and now treasurer of the National Association of Retired Firefighters, said: "Ernie was a guy that did the job, he was a typical Yorkshireman."

Chris Smith said: "Mr Kendrew had done about 10 years of research and while I knew about a lot of the stuff there were quite a few things which I had not come across. Leeds Fire Brigade was established in 1860, so next year will mark its 150th anniversary. We hope to be able to publish a book in that year."

Mr Smith would like to hear from anyone with any old pictures to do with Leeds Fire Brigade. Contact: Chris.Smith@ westyorksfire.gov.uk.


Close encounter with a German air ace, 16

Your letters...

Round about 1942-3 I lived with my mother in Melville Road, Leeds 6. I was 15 or 16 at the time and although supposedly under age I often acted as a fire watcher on Melville Road.
I was supplied with a stirrup pump, a bucket of sand, a bucket of water and a peculiar shaped tin helmet. Fortunately I never needed to use them.

One very moonlit night Leeds was suffering an air raid and there was a lot of ack-ack fire and the sound of bombs exploding when at its height a German bomber, perfectly lit up and visible in the moonlight, swept across at what seemed almost chimney-top height quite close to where I was standing.

It was not in difficulties and within seconds it had passed over and gone.

Although it was discouraged at the time, we used to listen to the German propaganda broadcasts from Germany by Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce) and the day after the air raid I was amazed to hear him say something like "Were the residents of Leeds surprised last night when our Luftwaffe's youngest pilot aged 16 did a low-level sweep across the city at roof-top height?"

About the same time I had a friend, Ernest Rhodes, who was a year or two older than me. Ernest volunteered for the RAF and went to Canada for training and came home on leave fully qualified as a navigator. On the Sunday we went fishing to Roundhay Park. He was quite enthusiastic because when he returned he was being made a full member of a crew.

On the Thursday his aircraft was struck by lightning and all the crew were killed. I went to his funeral. At the graveside the officer blew a trumpet, saluted and went off leaving myself and Ernest's bereft parents to grieve over his loss.

Because the young German pilot was the same age as myself I could not help but feel a sense of excitement and admiration at his skill and daring and at times wondered if he survived the war and lived to tell the tale. I hope so.

Phil Warren, Leeds, email: phil.warren21@googlemail.com



I would love to know more about the photograph of the street scene published in the YEP on September 11. I think I'm the lady with the pram, but I can't place where it is and I would love to know. I lived in Armley but I did used to walk around a bit with my pram.

There can't have been many other people in the area with Silver Cross prams. Everyone who has seen the picture agrees that it looks like me but no one can say where the picture was taken.

My son, Andrew was born in August 1962. If anyone could let me know where the street is, I would be most grateful.

Christine Groves, Pudsey.


Guess the year

Current switchers returned in darkness, relations with Sam became frosty and four became three in NYC. What year are we referring to? Answer next week.

Last week's question: Weekenders caught the bug, sexist slop fired its last and two musical brothers showed they had more than just rhythm. Which year are we referring to? Answer: The Bee Gees' album Saturday Night Fever became a cultural phenomenon, at one point selling a million copies a week. The Sex Pistols played their final show (until a 1996 reunion) at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom. The Blues Brothers, Jake & Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd), made their first appearance on US comedy show Saturday Night Live. The year was 1978.

Did you know?

The 11th Hussars earned their title Prince Albert's Own in 1840 after they provided escort to Prince Albert from Dover to Canterbury and onwards to London for his marriage with Queen Victoria. In appreciation, Prince Albert became colonel of the regiment, exchanging the blue overalls for the crimson of the House of Saxe Coburg Gotha.


EP 24 Oct 2009