Families who joined the front line

3:12pm Wednesday 18th June 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

DURING the last war, many families waved goodbye to a whole generation of their menfolk as they were called up to fight.

The Peers family, of Blackburn, for instance, had five relatives on active service - and happily they all came home.

Private Percy Peers, Gunner James Peers, both of Pickup Street, and Sergeant Robert Peers, of Peter Street, were brothers, while Sammy Peers and Jimmy Pearson were their cousins.

Percy, the eldest, was called up with the Territorial Army, while his younger brother Robert, who worked at Moffats until being called up as a reservist in 1939, served with an air-borne regiment.

The youngest, James, who served with the Royal Artillery, was employed at Daisyfield Mill until his call-up. Gunner Sammy, of the Royal Artillery, was among the first batch of Militia and served in Ceylon. He also worked at Moffats.

The fifth member was Private Pearson, who lived with his family in Appleby Street and served in the Middle East.