A descendant of one of six men killed trying to defuse an unexploded Second World War bomb near Nantwich has come forward.
Cheshire East Council is searching for family members of Royal Engineers Sgt Edward Greengrass, Sapper Harold Thompson, Sapper Michael Lambert, Sapper George Lucas and Sapper John Perrins.
They died when a German bomb exploded in a field between near Alvaston Hall, Nantwich in August 1940.
Sapper Albert Edward Fearon, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was also killed in the incident.
Now his nephew George Horton has contacted the council and will be invited to the unveiling of a memorial at the site next year.
Mr Horton, 76, of Sutton-on-Sea, Lincolnshire, said: “I am delighted Cheshire East Council is going to remember my uncle, it is nice to see he is going to be recognised in the area in which the incident took place.
“Unfortunately, my uncle and his colleagues were not capable of carrying out the work required because they and other bomb disposal teams of the time were only given very basic training.”
Sapper Fearon and the team had successfully defused three bombs in the field, but the final bomb exploded.
In September, the council’s Cabinet accepted a motion to erect a small memorial near Alvaston Hall.
Cllr Wesley Fitzgerald, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “It is of the utmost importance we recognise the men who sacrificed themselves for the local population.
“I would urge anyone with any knowledge of these people to keep coming forward so that we can provide a fitting memorial to them.”
Cheshire East would like anyone who may have information regarding these men to contact 01270 686012.
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