Soldier’s family touched by memorial invitation (From Echo)

Soldier’s family touched by memorial invitation

8:20am Saturday 31st July 2010 in

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THE family of a teenage soldier who died almost 37 years ago has been located ahead of a special memorial event, thanks to the Echo.

Private Eric William Edwards, from Rochford, was killed in a traffic accident while serving with the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, on an exercise in Kenya in September 1973, aged just 19.

The Anglians made an appeal in the Echo last month to find Eric’s family so they could invite them to a special ceremony to honour him and other fallen soldiers in September.

The regiment want to inscribe his name and those of other fallen soldiers on a new memorial at Duxford, near Cambridge.

Eric’s older brother George, 61, of Wentworth Road, South-end, said friends had told him about the appeal and he had been in touch with the regiment.

He said: “I was surprised to read the article. I couldn’t believe it. It was a long time ago, but it all came back.

“I think it’s excellent what the Anglians are doing.

“It’s just a shame it’s taken so long, but better late than never.”

Eric, a former Rochford Primary and King Edmund School pupil, lived in Ormonde Avenue, Rochford, and served in the regiment for two years.

George, a podiatrist and dad-of-one, said he would be going to the ceremony with brother David, 55, and sister, June, 59.

He added: “Eric was a very outgoing chap. He seemed to enjoy his time in the Army and did quite well. I think he would have got to high places.

“When he died, police phoned me at home and I went to Rochford police station where the news was broken.”

Major Williamson, a retired officer of the regiment, has been tracking down the families of all the servicemen who died on duty and whom the Anglians had lost contact with. There will be 78 names on the memorial, but there are now only three families still to be tracked down.

Maj Williamson, 67, from Harrow, said: “We are very pleased with our progress so far.

“Thanks very much for the help of the Echo.”