03-Aug-2003, 12:32 AM
When I lived in Ryden Avenue during WW2, the police came to arrest a man called Mr. Kelly. The Kelly family lived just off Ryden Avenue in the end house of a row of houses that faced the fields with the other end house occupied by the Riley family. Mr. Riley ran a rag and bone business as well as selling firewood. He had two sons I recall, Jim who was about three years older than myself and another son much older whose name I forget.
At any rate, the police arrived and went to the Kelly's. Those at home who saw the cops arrive quickly gathered in the street and told their neighbors so quite crowd saw Mr. Kelly hustled out of his house by two cops, struggling and shouting, with Mrs. Kelly following and her two small daughters clinging to her skirts.
The story was that Mr. Kelly had sold the plans of Euxton or Chorley (we called it Euxton) Royal Ordnance Factory to the Germans. Another version had it he was in the IRA - in 1939/40 the IRA were active in England and blew up at least one post office.
As a small boy, the event impressed me and stuck in my memory, but I never bothered to settle the mystery in my mind.
Does anyone know about Mr. Kelly? Perhaps the Leyland Historical Society could elucidate the mystery? Maybe Mr. Kelly was simply a guy who did not show up for militray service or was a deserter...
At any rate, the police arrived and went to the Kelly's. Those at home who saw the cops arrive quickly gathered in the street and told their neighbors so quite crowd saw Mr. Kelly hustled out of his house by two cops, struggling and shouting, with Mrs. Kelly following and her two small daughters clinging to her skirts.
The story was that Mr. Kelly had sold the plans of Euxton or Chorley (we called it Euxton) Royal Ordnance Factory to the Germans. Another version had it he was in the IRA - in 1939/40 the IRA were active in England and blew up at least one post office.
As a small boy, the event impressed me and stuck in my memory, but I never bothered to settle the mystery in my mind.
Does anyone know about Mr. Kelly? Perhaps the Leyland Historical Society could elucidate the mystery? Maybe Mr. Kelly was simply a guy who did not show up for militray service or was a deserter...
BillR
