Lancashire Veterans Association keen to contact person looking after fallen soldier's grave

Fusilier Whalley's civilian headstone, which is having flowers lain by a mysterious person

A fallen soldier’s grave in Boarshaw Cemetery is being looked after – and Lancashire Veterans Association are hoping to make contact with the person who is taking the time to tend the grave.

Fusilier Stephen Walley, 18, of Langley, Middleton, was amongst 12 victims killed during the coach bombing on the M62 in 1974.

A bomb aboard the coach, carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel and their families, exploded near the Hartshead Moor service station, near Huddersfield on 4 February.

Nine soldiers and three civilians were killed by the explosion, a suspected IRA attack which saw Judith Ward convicted of the bombing that same year but freed by the appeal court in 1992.

A service of remembrance on Sunday 3 February to commemorate the attack will take place at 10.30am at the service station, and Lancashire Veterans Association Chairman, Harry Mills, hopes the upcoming anniversary will lead to contact with the Langley soldier’s family.

He said: “We know someone visits Fusilier Whalley’s grave in Boarshaw Cemetery and are anxious to make contact with either that person or any of his relatives.

“We’ve made arrangements for Fusilier Whalley’s service headstone to be cleaned, but we cannot clean the other plaque at his grave as it is a private one. Someone is looking after it, because there are flowers on it.”

If you have any information about this, please contact the Newsdesk where we can pass your details on to Mr Mills: news@rochdaleonline.co.uk