ON August 5 I printed a couple of "mystery" pictures sent to me by Mrs Anita Forth, of Bromley Cross. One of them was of soldiers, with the words "The Lads" written on it, but no further identification.

Now, Mr Jim McClusky, of Anglie Grove, Bolton, has contacted me to say that his father James McClusky was shown. "I had never seen the picture before, but from the age of my father I think it must have been taken in China in about 1934 - my father was 19 then, and a young soldier with the Lancashire Fusiliers. He lied about his age, and walked from Bolton to Bury to join up when he was 15; he went to China with them in about 1933.

"When the war started in 1939 he came back to Bolton, but later went to Dunkirk where he was taken a prisoner of war for five years - he served in the Forces for 25 years altogether.

"It's funny, but there was also a photograph of Dad in the Evening News in June when you showed a picture of the Queen's visit in 1953; my father was on parade for the Queen." I have now put Jim in touch with Mrs Forth, who said that if any reader recognised anyone on the pictures, she would pass the photographs on to them.

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