A 100-YEAR-old-war hero has become the subject of a display of photographs in a Preston museum - the place where he first signed up for the army over 80 years ago.

Harold Hayman, who lives in a Fulwood nursing home, volunteered for service at an army recruiting wagon on the flag market outside the Harris museum in 1915.

Sent to France where he fought with the North Lancashire Regiment at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, he was captured and held as a prisoner of war in Germany and then Russia.

On his return to Preston in 1919 Mr Hayman's love of paintings made him a regular visitor at the museum where he became well known.

Photographer Ian Beesley, the former in-house photographer at the Harris, decided to photograph Mr Hayman in a series of black and white shots, in remembrance of the 380,000 soldiers who died on the Somme.

Mr Beesley said: "It was a privilege to be able to meet and talk to someone of his age and experience. He is a very animated character."

Mr Hayman described his horrific experiences on the Somme: "It was terrible seeing so many people die.

"So many people were killed that bodies were just lying everywhere. We had to walk over rotting corpses."

He told of his delight at seeing himself in the Harris and of the changes he had noticed there over the years. "I can remember when all the exhibits were all in flat glass cases," he said.

Mr Beesley added that he was interested to hear from any other war veterans from the area and also people involved in the Spanish Civil war, for use in future projects - he can be contacted on (01706) 223448.

The Harold Hayman exhibition will be on display at the Harris until the end of August.

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