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Asbestos led to veteran's death

Aug 9 2009 by David Old, Sunday Sun

A D-DAY veteran died from cancer caused by asbestos exposure, an inquest has heard.

James Peacock, 86, played a critical role in the Normandy landings during the Second World War. He died in July 2008, a year after developing mesothelioma.

Now an inquest has found he was exposed to the deadly mineral fibres while a buildings supply manager for Henry Foster Building Products in Northallerton between 1967 and 1985.

He also worked at Henry Foster Building Products, which later became Ferguson Foster Limited and then Ferguson International Holdings Limited, which had sites in Northallerton, Bishop Auckland and Newcastle.

The inquest in York was told Mr Peacock used to frequently handle asbestos sheets which were delivered to the builders’ merchants without any form of protection such as a mask or respirator.

His family have been campaigning for justice since his death. However, so far they have been unable to trace the firm’s insurers at the time.

Mr Peacock, from Pocklington, York, performed critical communications tasks for the Second Tactical Airforce during Operation Overlord and the Normandy landings, ensuring that inland troops were given the supplies they needed.

His daughter Jennifer McNally said: “We are all very proud of the role he played in the war and on D-Day in particular.

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