WAR HERO SON HAS A MEMORIAL AT LAST

Mum wins fight to have fallen soldier William honoured

A MUM has won a battle to have her war hero son honoured in his home town.

Isobel Savage’s son William, a corporal with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan five years ago.

His name has now been added to a war memorial in Ardrossan, Ayrshire.

Isobel is pleased her boy will be remembered forever in the town.

She said: “I am happy that his name has now finally been added. I have been down to look at it and it’s lovely.”

But she added: “I am just a bit upset that no one from the authorities contacted me to let me know. I had to find out through my local MP.”

William, 30, died in Helmand province in April 2013 – weeks before his wife Lyndsey gave birth to their son.

Fusilier Sam Flint, 21, and reservist Private Bobby Hetherington, 25, were also killed in the blast.

The Record previously told how Isobel was determined to have a permanent memorial to William. She was swamped with support from soldiers, with more than 10,000 people joining an online campaign.

Isobel asked to have a new street in Ardrossan named after her son. But she was told she was too late as the name had already been decided.

She now hopes to have a plaque put up at the newly developed site where William’s old school once stood.

Isobel, 59, said: “The naming of the new street had already gone through planning so the council said there was nothing they could do. It would be nice to have a plaque at the site where he went to school.”

Last night, a North Ayrshire Council spokesman said: “We added Corporal Savage’s name to the War Memorial in his home town.

“We have added Corporal Savage to our bank of street names and the name will be considered, if Ms Savage still wishes, when we are deciding on street names in future.

“We hope to meet with Ms Savage to discuss any future plans.”