THE granddaughter of WW1 soldier Fred Miller, is trying to trace members of the family still living in Blackburn.

He was one of four patriotic sons of Mrs Miller, of Mary Ann Street, who answered the call to serve their country.

One hundred years on, Gillian Bond is hoping to find descendants of his three brothers, her great uncles, to share family information.

Gillian, who now lives in Rossendale, has traced the history of the Miller family back to the 1840s, when they resided in Portsmouth.

In 1915, Fred was just 18 and was serving in France with the 3rd Border Regiment.

He had previously been employed at Messrs Walker cab proprietors.

His brother Harry, 20, who was with the Scottish Rifles was employed at Duke Street Mill, while his married brother Edwin, 26, of Brandy House Brow, had just been invalided home from Egypt, where he served with the 4th East Lancashire Regiment. He worked for Blackburn Tramways Corporation.

The oldest brother William, employed on the railway, was 29 and lived in Edmundson Street, Blackburn before joining the 16th Welsh Regiment.

l Remembered with honour at Calais Southern Cemetery is Blackburn soldier, Lance Corporal William Strahan, 201450, of the 4th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, who died in hospital from wounds, in 1917.

Aged 21, he was the son of James and Ann Strahan of Belgrave Street, Witton, and had been employed as a cloth looker at Mill Hill mill before joining the army in June 1915 .

He was a member of the Lads’ Brigade at St Philip’s Church, where a memorial service was held in his honour.

His sister’s husband had lost his life in France 14 months earlier.

l Mrs Hodson of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, had six sons fighting in the First World War and they all returned home.

There was Albert 25, Tom 26, William 32, Harry, 35, John, 36 and Joseph, 41.

Harry was in India, John had been in France, but was invalided home after losing two fingers, Tom returned home from South Africa when war was declared and served in France, Albert went through the Dardenelles and then was sent to France.

Joseph was a gunner in the Field Artillery in France and William served with the Yorkshire Fusiliers.

Harry’s granddaughter Pauline Ormerod, remembers her grandfather didn’t talk about the war, though she does know he was gassed and is keen to find out what he did in India.

Four of Mrs Hodson’s sons-in-law also served with the Forces.