The Liverpool Lad

On August 9th, 2023, I wrote a story called “The Liverpool Lad”.

It was about my husband’s maternal Uncle who was a POW in Japan. Imagine our delight when we got a message from Nicol, the granddaughter of Uncle Ben! She said:

“Ben Hughes was my paternal grandfather! I came across this site quite by chance and was shocked to read so much information about him.

Prior to this article, all I knew was that Ben had been a POW and had died young. Thank you for taking the time to record my family history […]”

I immediately messaged her back,

“Hi there, Nicol,

What a pleasure to hear from you! I am so pleased you appreciated the story; it was such a sad one. It is amazing what you find online nowadays, isn’t it?

My husband’s mothers’s maidan name was Hughes. There was also
Edith, Else, Emily, Eileen, Edna, and Ben, the only boy!

I wondered if you have any clearer photos of Uncle Ben that you would not mind emailing to us? I would like to add to the original story with a better photograph“

After requesting if Nicol had any clearer photos of Uncle Ben, Nicol kindly sent back the following photos of a handsome young Ben Hughes.

Benjamin Ronald Hughes, born 27th of March, 1910

This photo is from Uncle Ben’s wedding day in 1937.

To my husband’s delight, this wedding photo included many of his relatives, including his young, then unmarried mother, his aunts, and his maternal grandparents. What a treasure!

Thank you, Nicol

On this Remembrance Day, it is a sad pleasure to remember Benjamin Ronald Hughes and our countless family members who gave their all for us.

Thank you and Rest In Peace.