Spectrum Yarns in Slaithwaite with family links to the Second World War donates to forces charities

Owner Richard Brown’s father-in-law, Squadron Leader Daniel O’Leary, was a Spitfire pilot and his identical twin brother, Jeremiah O’Leary, was a rear gunner in a Lancaster bomber. Their father, Michael, won the Victoria Cross while serving in the Army in the First World War.

Richard’s grandfather, Mellor Whitwam, from Golcar, was in the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War serving as a mechanic and was the first engineer to fit a Rolls Royce engine into an airplane. He was also the test pilot for its inaugural flight.

Daniel and Jeremiah joined the RAF in 1941 and first saw action the following year.

Daniel flew Spitfires, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar as a fighter pilot and later became a reconnaissance pilot during the Italy campaign.

He later flew bombers during the Berlin Airlift and became a specialist in radar and missile defence systems. He retired from the RAF in April 1971 and his 30 years’ service included being in charge of the RAF base on Malta between 1963 and 1966.

Richard, who met his wife, Sharon (Daniel’s daughter) in London in 1974, says: “He was an extremely modest guy despite everything he’d done.”

Jeremiah also wanted to be a pilot but ended up as a rear gunner on Lancaster bombers and survived the war against incredible odds. After he’d completed a tour of 30 missions he was given the chance to leave operations against the enemy and become a trainer but he turned it down as he didn’t want to leave his crew. In the end he completed more than 100 missions.

Richard said: “Jeremiah once told me his bomber had flown over one target three times before they dropped their bombs to be sure they were on target.

“Daniel ended up in Germany towards the end of the war and saw for himself the horror of a concentration camp that had been newly liberated. It was a sight which never left him.”

Both men lived into their 80s.

The Big Curry Lunch at the Guildhall in March was attended by more than 1,500 people and the fundraising stalls along with a silent auction all add to a total which this year brought in more than £300,000 for the charities. The donated knitwear was sold at a stand run by The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters and the Glenbrae items helped them to raise £2,300 for post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health treatment and specialist pain management along with ‘back to work’ courses to help people leaving the armed forces and returning to civilian life to get full-time work.