A Tottington councillor has visited war cemeteries in France to pay respects to servicemen from the borough who died serving their country.
Cllr Luis McBriar make the journey to the battlefields of the Somme from the Great War and the D-Day landing beaches from the Second World War to pay tribute to those who died from Tottington, Walshaw and Bury.
He lay a poppy cross at the Arras Memorial, which commemorates nearly 35,000 men who gave their lives in action in the area and have no known grave.
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While visiting the memorial, Cllr McBriar laid a poppy cross for Lance Corporal Ernest Kay who resided at 6 Booth Street, Tottington, before the war and served with the 2nd/5th Lancashire Fusiliers before he was killed in action on June 28, 1916.
Cllr McBriar said: “We must never forget the sacrifices of this brave generation of servicemen and women, Lance Corporal Kay is one of many who fell from Tottington, Walshaw and Affetside who have no known grave.
“Due to the age in which the Great War ended, it is a real possibility his family never got a chance to visit where he is commemorated, and it is a real honour to have been able to pay tribute to him.”
Cllr McBriar’s journey then saw him visit the D-Day beaches where he laid a tribute to Fusilier Alfred Farrant who lived in Walshaw with his wife Edith Farrant.
He died on August 8, 1944, aged 25 and is buried at Bayeux War Cemetery.
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Cllr McBriar then visited La Delivrandre War Cemetery, the resting place of Lance Corporal Fred Greenhalgh, who is believed to be the first allied serviceman killed on D-Day after tragically drowning in his glider upon landing in France.
Following his visit, Cllr McBriar said: “We would not live in the world we do today if it wasn’t for the bravery of our greatest generation, many of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“It is vital we never forget their acts of valour.
"I am humbled to have the opportunity to visit their final resting places and I will continue to make sure we honour their memory.”
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