THEY usually pay tribute to the role miners played in shaping their community back home but this year Thrislington Banner Group will also honour the part they played at war.

When the group, based in West Cornforth, near Ferryhill, marches in Durham Miners' Gala on July 14 they will pay special tribute to the Armed Forces.

Their thoughts will be with the boys and men- many of them miners- who served for their country particularly during the First World War as they commemorate the centenary of the end of the 1914-18 conflict.

Among them will be Joseph Robert Bowerbank who will proudly wear the British War Medal awarded to his great-great-grandfather Robert Bowerbank.

Born in Coxhoe in 1892, the married coalminer enlisted on November 23, 1914, at the age of 22.

Private Bowerbank served with the 6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) at Gallipoli. He was posted to France in July 1916 and discharged six months later after being shot in the buttock.

He subsequently received three service medals which have been shared out among his descendants.

Joseph, a pupil at St Leonard's Catholic School in Durham, worked out that the father-of-five would have been 126-years-old now.He said: "Obviously I didn't know him but I will feel proud to be wearing something someone from my family won. I go to the gala every year with my family, it is an important tradition."

Joseph's sister Dayna, 16, said: "We want to remember what they did, they served our country and we should still be grateful."They risked their lives for us, if it wasn't for them we don't know how life would be now."

The group's banner carriers this year will all be veterans- Colin Hodgson, who served with The Light Infantry, John Fahey, of the 29 Commando Regiment, and Jeff Taylor, of 12 Air Defence Regiment- and will wear their own uniforms.

Mr Hodgson will also wear his great-grandfather Joseph Frederick Hodgson's medals, to remember how he gave his life in the First World War.

Bob Bowerbank, Joseph's grandfather and a key banner group member, said: "On Gala day we go to the village war memorial and Ripon City Band play The Last Post and Reveille."We feel it is a nice gesture to have service people as banner carriers, they deserve recognition. A lot of miners went to war and we want to remember their contribution particularly as we mark the centenary."