THERE was pride mixed with sadness when Enid Edwards visited Lymm Heritage Centre recently with her daughter Diane and granddaughter Katie.
They were all coming to see the new window display, installed to mark Remembrance Day, which honours the all too brief life of Enid’s great uncle Edward (Eddie) Johnson.
Every year, to mark Remembrance Day the Centre tell the story of one serviceman who lost his life in one of the two World Wars.
Edward (Eddie) Johnson was born in the Rushgreen area of Lymm in 1897. His early childhood was hit by a double tragedy. His father, a canal boatman drowned in Manchester 1899 and just three years later his mother also drowned in the Bridgewater Canal in Lymm in unexplained circumstances.
Eddie was brought up by his uncle, George Hazlehurst and his family who ran a small shop near Lymm Bridge. (A re-creation of their shop window is displayed in the Heritage Centre). He attended Pepper Street School and was a chorister at St Mary’s Church. He had a brief working life at the Linotype Works in Altrincham before enlisting in June 1915.
He fought at Passchendaele and was reported missing on July 31 having been part of an attack which formed the beginning of the 3rd Battle of Ypres. He died on August 2, 1917, aged just 20, probably in captivity after being wounded. He is buried at Harlebeke New British Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, Belgium. There is also a half-size memorial to Eddie in the cemetery at St Mary’s.
“It is a wonderful tribute.” said Diane.“ Mum recalls her family talking about Uncle Eddie, especially around Remembrance Day. What a shame they can’t all see him honoured in Lymm village this year!”
Enid and her family shared a collection of photographs and family memorabilia with the Heritage Centre some years ago and digital versions of these are now preserved for posterity and accessible online in thelymmarchive.co.uk.
