Clock's mystery soldier revealed

What was L/Cpl Biggins doing in the clock tower?

The mystery of a wartime autograph in a south Wales valleys clock tower has been solved.

Among dozens of signatures in the wooden casing at Maesteg Town Hall, one belonged to a World War II soldier.

Managers wanted to find out more about the young soldier, who signed his name as L/Cpl Biggins from Blaydon-on-Tyne.

Now his family have come forward, and identified him as George, a dispatch rider who spent time in south Wales before the Normandy invasion.

Manager Dave Bostock said he was "over the moon" to hear from the relatives.

L/Cpl Biggins' name was spotted among the signatures in the 80ft (24m) clock tower's casing.

As well as revealing his home town in Gateshead, he added the dates 2/10/43 - 9/2/44 (2 October, 1943 to 9 February, 1944).

Mr Bostock wanted to find out more about the young soldier, who he thought must have been on fire watch in the tower during the war.

After a BBC news website report on the signature, he has finally had some answers to his questions.

"I was really thrilled when I got an e-mail from L/Cpl Biggins' grandson Philip saying he thought it must be him," said Mr Bostock.

"He had seen the story and thought it must be his grandfather."

I thought of all the people who had been in the war, what the heck was my father doing up a clock tower! George Biggins, son

Following a telephone call, Mr Bostock was able to speak to L/Cpl Biggins' son, also called George.

"My nephew had seen the story and shown my son Philip who printed it off and when I saw it I thought that must be my father," explained Mr Biggins.

"Unfortunately he died in 1994, but I still have his driving licence which has his signature on and it matched to the one in the picture.

"I knew he had been in Wales before the Normandy invasion so I told my son to e-mail them.

"I thought of all the people who had been in the war, what the heck was my father doing up a clock tower!

"He was a dispatch rider during the war and so he would spend all his time driving round so I shouldn't think he would have been on fire duty, but you never know.

"My father never drank, he wasn't a drinker. But when he did, he would do silly things.

"And he was a gymnast so a very fit man so maybe... but then again maybe he was on fire duty," he laughed.

Mr Biggins is interested in finding out more about his father's wartime exploits and did not rule out a trip to Maesteg to find out more.