Family of Dewsbury Commando killed in Afghanistan back street name tributes

The family of a Royal Marine Commando who was killed in Afghanistan three years ago has backed calls for streets to be named after fallen soldiers.
HIGHLY PRAISED: Cpl Stephen Curley.HIGHLY PRAISED: Cpl Stephen Curley.
HIGHLY PRAISED: Cpl Stephen Curley.

Corporal Stephen Curley, from 40 Commando Royal Marines, was killed in an explosion in May 2010 while he was on a foot patrol in the southern Green Zone.

The former St John Fisher Catholic High School pupil was married and had an 18-week-old son.

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Now his mother Andrea has lent her backing to a campaign by Kirklees councillor Phil Scott to have new streets named after soldiers who have died fighting for their country.

Sgt John William Ormsby. (2710/43)Sgt John William Ormsby. (2710/43)
Sgt John William Ormsby. (2710/43)

Normally streets are not named after people living in the recent past but Coun Scott, himself a former soldier, says the move would recognise the sacrifices made by the victims and their families.

Welcoming the proposal, Andrea said: “As a family we think it would be a lovely tribute to name streets after our brave soldiers who have given their lives in the service of their country.”

Stephen was a distant relative of John William Ormsby of Dewsbury who was awarded the VC for ‘conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty’ while fighting in France in the First World War. He died in 1952.

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A street – John Ormsby VC Way – has been named after him in Shaw Cross.

Andrea’s cousin Geoff Greensmith said: “Stephen always looked up to John Ormsby, so it would be very fitting if a street was also named after Stephen.”

Geoff was instrumental in getting wording on Ormsby’s head stone changed when he discovered the date of birth was actually that of his nephew, who had the same name and was lost at sea in the First World War.

Dewsbury Cemetery Avtion Group rectified the error with help from George Brooke funeral directors and John Ormsby’s headstone now shows the correct year of his birth as 1881.

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