Cherry Tree for Harry, the forgotten soldier! A historian working with Salesbury School and Child Action Northwest to commemorate ten local boys who lost their lives in the Great War, has uncovered the story of an eleventh forgotten soldier. The life of the eleventh, Harry Watson and ten other ‘old boys’ will be marked in a special church service and tree planting ceremony as part of World War One anniversary events on Sunday 13 July. It is part of a Heritage Lottery funded project where pupils are studying the First World War through the lives of the orphanage boys who went to war and did not return. Historian, Melanie Warren from Lancaster is working with the team as the charity archivist who recently published, ‘James Dixon’s Children’. Melanie explained, ‘Whilst going through the files for the school, I found a letter from the family who wrote to the charity in 2002 to ask for the records of Harry Watson because they were doing their own family history. It seems that Harry had been married for four years, had a son called James who was just one when his father, Harry went to war in 1914. When he enlisted Harry gave the army what he thought had been his father’s name, ‘Christopher Watson’, hence the mystery around his death. ‘Harry was one of the brave young men who responded so willingly to Kitchener’s call. Another was his younger brother, John, who had been adopted. Harry enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers and John in the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. At this time, everybody thought the war would be over in a few months. Both Harry and John were sent out to Macedonia in the 22nd Division. There is no evidence that they either met or knew that each other was fighting in the same area. Both their battalions were involved in the Battle of Doiran, north of what is today known as Thessalonika. Both soldiers were killed in May 1917. Their graves are in separate war cemeteries in the area in Greece.’ Earlier this month, the pupils spent a day at the charity’s headquarters discovering life at the Orphanage at War and coming face to face with a World War One re-enactment soldier, Scott Knowles of the Tommy Teaches. On Tuesday 3 June, the children will travel to Fulwood Barracks to be ‘enlisted’ by recruiting sergeants before visiting the trench reconstruction at the Museum of Lancashire. The project culminates on Sunday 13 July with a service of remembrance at St Peter’s School led by the Reverend Martin Duerdan. This will be followed by a tree-planting ceremony in the grounds of the old Orphanage. Project coordinator, Harriet Roberts said, ‘Thanks to Heritage Lottery funding, we are able to bring history to life in a really creative project which the children are loving. This information has come as surprise to the charity and Harry’s story will now be remembered along with the other ten boys. We originally received funding for ten cherry trees for the project but we are now appealing for donations to fund the final tree to remember Harry Watson whose family have been invited to the event.’ To make a donation contact Harriet Roberts on 01254 244700. James Dixon’s Boys Service of Remembrance takes place at St Peter’s Church, Salesbury at 2pm on Sunday 13 July followed by tree planting at the old orphanage, Child Action Northwest, Whalley Road, Wilpshire, near Blackburn. All are welcome.
Posted on: Wed, 28 May 2014 13:23:00 +0000
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