Wigan World War Two veteran remembered on centenary of his birth

Although he was one of a large number of men who rarely spoke about what they had seen and done on the front line, it is known Mr Lyon served in the Lancashire Fusiliers and was stationed in the Dodecanese in Greece.

Mr Lyon, who lived in Hodges Street, was also a talented footballer but injury put paid to him developing his sporting abilities and he went into the construction industry to work as a bricklayer.

It has made for a very poignant few weeks for his daughter Jean Hensey-Reynard, who has marked her father’s centenary and also joined in the 75th anniversary commemorations of VE Day.

She has also passed the story of her father on to the next generation as she told her next door neighbour’s daughter Kiera Vose, who was writing a World War Two project for school while staying at home, about him.

Jean, of Upland Drive in Ashton, said: “He was just 19 when he went to war.

“I need to do some more research on troops being sent to Greece, I would like to know more.

“I remember when I was growing up it wasn’t on the school curriculum as such but one day my primary schoolteacher had told us a bit about the war.

“I can still see him now. He put his paper down on the table and said: ‘Jean, there’s more than him being in the war’.

“That was it. He didn’t want to talk about it.

“That was the first realisation I had that my dad was in the war.

“One thing I do know is that when they were out there in the Army they were looking after and feeding some of the local dogs, because there’s a photo of my dad with some puppies.

“He played football and had the chance to go for trials at Southport but he had a knee problem and that was that. He was clever enough to be an architect but didn’t do that either. I think he had seen enough in the war.”

Jean has also been relating what she knows of her father’s war service to Kiera, a year six pupil at St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School, who was given a project about VE Day.

Jean said: “I was just talking to Kiera’s mum Sara about different things and she said Kiera was writing something about the war.

“They posted it through my letterbox for me to have a look at and I sent back across a picture of my dad and explained he was in the war. She then added a bit more in.”

In her project Kiera, 11, wrote about discovering just how young some of the soldiers in World War Two were with many, like Mr Lyon, being sent to the front line when they were still teenagers.

She also explained the significance of the day marking the end of the conflict in Europe and how British people contributed to the war effort, whether in the forces or back at home.

The photo which Jean sent her was sent back to his mother Elizabeth, signed: “From your everloving son Bobby”.

Mr Lyon died aged just 61 of lung cancer.

A Wigan World War Two veteran was remembered as relatives marked what would have been his 100th birthday.

Robert Lyon, known as Bobby, was born a century ago on May 15 and his family paid tribute to his service on the front line for his country in the conflict between 1939 and 1945.

Although he was one of a large number of men who rarely spoke about what they had seen and done on the front line, it is known Mr Lyon served in the Lancashire Fusiliers and was stationed in the Dodecanese in Greece.

Mr Lyon, who lived in Hodges Street, was also a talented footballer but injury put paid to him developing his sporting abilities and he went into the construction industry to work as a bricklayer.

It made for a very poignant few weeks for his daughter Jean Hensey-Reynard, who has marked her father’s centenary and also joined in the 75th anniversary commemorations of VE Day.

She has also passed the story of her father on to the next generation as she told her next door neighbour’s daughter Keira Vose, who was writing a World War Two project for school while staying at home, about him.

Jean, of Upland Drive in Ashton, said: “He was just 19 when he went to war.

“I need to do some more research on troops being sent to Greece, I would like to know more.

“I remember when I was growing up it wasn’t on the school curriculum as such but one day my primary schoolteacher had told us a bit about the war.

“I can still see him now. He put his paper down on the table and said: ‘Jean, there’s more than him being in the war’.

“That was it. He didn’t want to talk about it.

“That was the first realisation I had that my dad was in the war.

“One thing I do know is that when they were out there in the Army they were looking after and feeding some of the local dogs, because there’s a photo of my dad with some puppies.

“He played football and had the chance to go for trials at Southport but he had a knee problem and that was that. He was clever enough to be an architect but didn’t do that either. I think he had seen enough in the war.”

Jean has also been relating what she knows of her father’s war service to Keira, a year six pupil at St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School, who was given a project about VE Day.

Jean said: “I was just talking to Kiera’s mum Sara about different things and she said Kiera was writing something about the war.

“They posted it through my letterbox for me to have a look at and I sent back across a picture of my dad and explained he was in the war. She then added a bit more in.”

In her project Keira, 11, wrote about discovering just how young some of the soldiers in World War Two were with many, like Mr Lyon, being sent to the front line when they were still teenagers.

She also explained the significance of the day marking the end of the conflict in Europe and how British people contributed to the war effort, whether in the forces or back at home.

The photo which Jean sent her was sent back to his mother Elizabeth, signed: “From your everloving son Bobby”.

Mr Lyon died aged just 61 of lung cancer.