A COMMEMORATION service took place yesterday in memory of a Blackburn man killed in World War One.

Immanuel Church in Feniscowles hosted the event to remember Corporal Edgar Haydock who was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

The 24-year-old, who lived in Springmount, Pleasington, was a member of the 11th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, known as the Accrington Pals.

He died with 600 others from his regiment in the assault on Cerres Fortress and is buried at Thiepvall War Cemetery nearby.

The ceremony, in which a bird bath was dedicated to him, was attended by his two nephews Malcolm and Edgar and niece Pat.

Mayor of Blackburn, Coun Allan Cottam, also attended the event which saw the names on the church’s cenotaph read out.

The relatives donated £100, £1 for each year since the outbreak of the war, to buy and install the bird bath.

Malcolm, 85, who lives in Mellor Brook, said: “This was such a special event for all of us.

“It’s great that so many people attended and the whole thing was absolutely fine. It was a very special occasion for us and I’d like to say thank you to everyone who came.”

Rev David Roscoe, who led the ceremony, said: “The family approached us with the view to providing a feature for our church garden in memory of their uncle.

“We came up with the idea of a bird bath because for one we had not got a birdbath for our garden but secondly we thought that it was a fitting tribute to the freedom and joy and peace that it symbolises with the birds in the water.

“During the ceremony we remembered Edgar, blessed the birdbath and also remembered all those from this community who are on our church cenotaph as we remembered this important occasion in the life of our country and rededicated ourselves to the freedom and peace for which these soldiers fought and died.”