Barlick War Memorial Research

[PanBiker]

A topic for all research notes related to the Barnoldswick War Memorial.

[PanBiker]

White space post to incorporate previously researched chronologically ordered data currently on archive server.

Test later addition

[PanBiker]

All trancribed from issues of Barnoldswick & Earby Times

August 6th 1943

Barnoldswick Road Fatality

Ernest Bailey a Sergeant in the army and a native of Sheffield was killed whilst riding a military motorcyle. The fatal accident happened at the junction of Gisburn Street and Gisburn Road with the machine crashing into a wall after avoiding another motor vehicle. A pillion passenger who was also an army sergeant escaped with minor cuts and bruises.

The same issue carries an advert in the form of a notice from the cleansing department:

SALVAGE
1 TON OF KITCHEN WASTE
WILL KEEP 40 PIGS 1 WEEK
"Help to keep your bacon supplies"

August 20th

This edition carries a report on the homecoming leave of a local soldier, Staff Sgt. E. Norris Whitehead R.A.M.C. after 12 months as a prisoner of war, a captive of the Italians. He was released under the Geneva Convention of 1929 which allows for the exchange of medical personnel at the earliest opportunity. He was originally posted as missing to his parents who reside in Barnoldswick.

As part of his experience as a POW he relates what he refers to as a jolly escapade with the Germans whilst in transit along with 180 others in 3 trucks. The Germans were making a propaganda film and were trying to film the 3 trucks of POW's multiple times to make it look like they had a convoy of captured prisoners. Staff Sgt. Norris reports that the Germans got quite "ratty" with the British lads as they kept giving "V" signs whenever they tried to photograph them. They eventually gave up and left them to continue their journey.

September 3rd

Advert by the Duke of Wellingtons Regiment in aid of a POW fund that they have established the advert announces:

Barnoldswick Home Guard Effort
Military Ball
Majestic Ballroom
ARMAGEDDON DANCE BAND
Dancing 8 -12 Entry at the door 2/6d H.M. Forces in Uniform 1/6d

Other fund raising efforts included: Childrens Sports, a Military Gymkana and a Grand Concert at the Palace in Barnoldswick.

The same issue carries an advert from Montague Burton, branches in Barnoldswick, Colne and Nelson

A 9 Guinea "Victory Value" Suit or Overcoat for 95/-

"Coupons cannot command more"

October 29th

In a report entitled "Stoker Missing"

Stoker William Quayle aged 35 is reported as missing in active service with the Royal Navy.

Separate reports carry more bad news;

Guardsman Frederick Archer Brown aged 19 from Salterforth has been killed in action in Italy.

(there is an F. Brown on the Barlick memorial that will need cross checking with this soldier)

Sgt. Raymond Harris aged 19 killed while serving as Flight Engineer with the RAF. He was a native of Coventry but resident in Barlick with his parents for some time before signing up.

(again there is a R.A. Harris on the memorial that will need to be checked)

First Class Stoker Harry Meredith Brown aged 29, reported as missing in action, his wife had been informed.

There are no issues available between November 19th and December 3rd.

December 17th

A reort is given on the Service Hostel at Skipton. 5 houses are now available to be visited by Women service personnel if they need accomodation in Skipton during transit.
The Service Hostel catered for 506 men in October and 446 in November. Since the formation of the scheme the Skipton Hostel has accomodated 11,517 members of the armed forces.

There is a report on the impending wage increase for Lanacshire weavers. The new wage rates will come into effect in the New Year. Adults have been given a 4/- rise and juveniles 2/-, they had asked for 12/- and 6/- respectively. The changes will affect 185,000 Lancashire Cotton Operatives.

The 24th of December edition has no real mention of Christmas other than the entertainment page which announces "Festive Entertainments" in place of "Whats On".

Fortunately there are no losses reported and the year turns again with no January review of the previous year.

All quiet in the first couple of issues.

January 14th 1944

A young Barnoldswick RAF man is reported missing;

Sgt. Ronald Clarke aged 19 is reported as missing on active service. He was previously a member of the Barlick ATC.

February 18th

Has a small snippet report at the bottom of the front page. It relates the actions of RAF squadrons and Anti - Aircraft Gunners based on Malta who had up to the end of May 1943 destroyed 1259 enemy aircraft over the island and surrounding area, of this 1000 by fighters alone. 850 ships including 350 warships were engaged in Anglo/American amphibious operations against French North Africa. 2 out of 3 major convoys sailed from Britain under R.N. and R.A.F. protection. Not a single life or ship was lost.

February 25th

Guardsman Midgley Barrett aged 27 was reported as killed in active service with Central Mediterrenean Forces.

[Jamie]

I don't know if you are aware of a gentleman from Accrington "Walter Holmes" who has done a lot of research into names missing from Local War Memorials. I believe he can be contacted through Accrington Library. I know he has done a lot of research into the Accrington Pals the 11th Battalion East Lancs Regiment.

Jamie

[PanBiker]

Thanks for that Jamie, I am currently looking for Barlick lads from the Second World War and later. If you are new to the site you will have missed all Thomo's previous postings about his findings on the First World War casualties that we believe are missing from our memorial. All of this research is on the archive site, as is the first few years of WWII that I have looked into so far. We only started our research around October of last year and have a long way to go yet before we get to a definitive list. I'm sure Thomo will pick up on your post and reply in due course on his findings so far. We potentially have quite a few missing from the Barlick memorial.

Thanks for the information anyway it may well come in very useful, and welcome to the site.

[PanBiker]

March 31st 1944

RAF Man Posted Missing
Sgt. Norman Allen Smith 21 years of age a wireless operator and son of Leading Aircraftsman G.E. Smith of Barnoldswick was posted as missing in action.

I have found no further report of this young man turning up at a later date, he could be another possible for the memorial. I have noted him as such.

April 21st

Pte. Roger Wright was reported as being wounded in Burma. His wife had been informed.

During March and April there was a build up of advertising in the paper for the run up to Salute a Soldier Week. This was due to be the next major fund raising drive for the war effort.

May 5th

Earby is first to advertise its Salute a Soldier Week - due to take place 13th - 20th May - target set £40,000

Barnoldswick Bandsman Killed

Bdr. Joseph Howarth Pilkington was killed in active service in Burma he was born in Barlick but lived in Haworth before the war.

May 12th

Barlick announces the dates of it's Salute a Soldier Week - 20th - 27th May - target set £50,000

A series of fund raising events were planned for the town starting with the launch at the Majestic Ballroom. The Duke of Wellington's Regimental Band was due to parade through the town. This would be followed with a full week of events including a Concert, Film Shows and various other attractions, the Pantomime "Cinderella" would be on twice during the week and a 50/50 dance at the Majestic would round off the following weekend.

Frank Bell who was a well known local boxer became the ATC Light Heavyweight Champion of Great Britain. He was serving with the Barlick ATC.

The front page of the paper carries a third page advert advising townsfolk of Barnoldswick and Earby that the distribution of new Ration Books would start the following week.
Barnoldswick's distribution point would be from 1, Frank Street and Earby's from the food office at 29, Colne Road.

May 26th

Earby beats its set target for the Salute a Soldiers Week raising over £42,000 during the week.

June 9th

Barlick has earned it' own salute for the magnificent £76,271/8s/6d raised during their Salute a Soldier fund raising week.

On Tuesday June the 6th 1944 the allies launched the largest invasion fleet ever assembled against the Axis held "Fortress Europe".

There is a single entry recorded in the paper referencing this:

Prayers for the Allied Crusade were offered at St James Church on the evening of "Invasion Day"

June 16th

Nearly 5 years into the war, people are still being taken to task in the courts for blackout misdemeanour's. The fine is still set at 20s for a first offence.

The 787 areas around the country that operated Salute a Soldier fund raising drives have almost raised £400Million for the war effort. It is noted that some receipts have almost doubled since news of the invasion was released.

June 30th

There is a large advertisement on the front page:

A MAN'S LIFE MAY DEPEND ON YOU
Enrol for the "SECOND FRONT" as a volunteer Blood Donor
at the First Aid Post
Bethesda Sunday School
Blood Transfusion Sessions will be held
3.00 - 5.00pm and 6.00 - 8.30pm

In the same issue, Dr Alderton gives his annual report on the health of the townsfolk based on his records for 1943.

There have been a few mild cases of Scarlet Fever and 43 cases of Whooping Cough but a general decrease in cases of notifiable diseases. There have been no cases of Diphtheria which speaks well for the immunisation steps taken.

There was an increase in the Birth Rate and a decrease in the number of Deaths in the town.
162 Births - 91 Males and 71 Females
130 Deaths - 60 Males and 70 Females

Heart Disease - 52
Cancer - 18
Bronchitis - 5
Road Traffic Accidents - 3

The water supply in town was still of good quality and in plentiful supply. There were two motor ambulances operating in the district. A number of women were transported to hospital to have their babies although the majority of births in the town were attended to by Nurse Barlow.

July 7th

There is a report about the excellent response to the Blood Donors appeal. A total of 121 pints were collected from the donors that attended. R.N.V.R. Surgeon Lieut. Craig acted as Medical Officer in charge, with local Dr. J.D. Robertson in control of the First Aid Post.

July 14th

The first of many casualties from the Normandy Invasion are starting to be reported in the paper.

Wounded in Normandy
Pte. Carol Myers from Hill Street in Barnoldswick
Suffered a leg wound during the first week of fighting in Normandy. He is now in hospital in England and is able to walk with a stick. At another hospital which was visited by the Queen, Her Majesty chatted with him during her visit. Pte. Myers is a former Territorial Army soldier and has served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy with a short time in airborne forces.

July 21st

Cpl. Maurice Winn aged 25 was Killed in Northern Europe, he had formerly served for two years in Iceland, he was married with a baby son.

July 28th

Gunner Fred Roland Atkinson aged 36 was Killed in Action in Normandy, he was a married man.

Cpl. Mercer Windle was wounded while serving with the R.A.C. in Normandy.

A separate section lists further West Craven Casualties

Official intimation has been received that

Pte. Frank Brown died of wounds while serving in the Mediterranean he was aged 29.

Petty Officer Robert Green who had been previously reported as missing while serving with the R.N. is now presumed dead.

August 4th

Barnoldswick N.C.O Killed in Action

Cpl. Edward McCann serving with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment previously reported as missing is now known to have been killed in action. He had previously served for two years in Iceland. He leaves a widow and one son.

August 18th

A Barnoldswick man, Pte. Thomas Edward Hardacre has been wounded in action in Normandy.

August 25th

D.F.M. for Local Man
Pilot Officer Harry Widdup R.A.F. has been awarded the D.F.M. he is aged 19 and is a Flight Engineer.

L/Cpl. Richard Sydney Harris was killed in action in North West Europe while serving with the Norfolk Regiment.

Petty Officer Eric Hogarth who is married with one son is reported missing at sea.

Stoker William Quayle R.N. who was reported missing last October is now presumed killed.

[Nolic]

Ian, many thanks for the report on my dad in your last post.
Given the nature of his wound which took off all the muscle at the back of his shin,I'm surprised he was walking at all so soon after the injury.
I posted on the old site about him meeting the Queen at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and telling her he felt "Reight gradely Maam" and she thinking that gradely was a fine word. One minor glitch in the report -it misses out that he spent the early years of the war with Ian's dad guarding ice caps in Iceland.
In the same post Ian refers to the death of Cpl Maurice Winn ( I think its Wynn). I'm pretty sure that this gentleman and my dad were close friends and that I posted a picture of them both on the old site taken just before they departed to Iceland with the Dukes. Nolic

[PanBiker]

Thanks for the feedback Nolic, the report in the paper makes no note of your dads service in Iceland although as you know I am well aware of it, through the threads on the old site. To give a feel of the sometimes curt and straight to the point reporting styles used a the time, I try not to embellish too much past what is actually written. Similarly the spelling of Cpl. Winn (Wynn). Apart from anything else the spelling does not quite look right, having said that, it is how it was related in the paper and it does match what I have on my crib sheet taken from the names on the memorial. I could have compounded the error and I will check, thanks for mentioning it.
I can just imagine your dad having his banter with the Queen, I assume it was Maam as in "Jam", obviously on the mend and "made up" with the visit.

[Nolic]

Ian, I'm not suggesting any errors in your post but in the original reporting. Given the demands of the time a few minor glitches are unimportant. Nolic

[PanBiker]

Ian, I'm not suggesting any errors in your post but in the original reporting.

I know you are not Nolic and I dont take any offence, I welcome the feedback. One thing that does strike you when you read through the issues is the enormous amounts of monies raised through various events for the war effort. It is a constant thing all through the duration and I suppose was not just a nescessity but a way of keeping folk focused on the task in hand. The Salute A Soldier week is a case in point. Over 70K raised and invested in a single week, fantastic really when you think about it.

[PanBiker]

More from the pages of the Barnoldswick and Earby Times

September 1st 1944

Young RAF Man Killed

Sgt. Air Gunner John Butterfield aged 19 killed while on flying duty with the RAF. Sgt. Butterfield was a member of the ATC and Home Guard before joining the RAF 18 months before.

September 29th

West Craven Casualties

Pte. James Duerden serving with the Royal Artillery has been killed in action, his wife has been informed.

Pte. Thomas Rigby also of the Royal Artillery is noted as being overseas either wounded or suffering from shell shock. He aparrently woke up in hospital 100's of miles from where he had been fighting and has no knowledge of the circumstance of his injuries, a relative had said.

October 6th

Pte. Charles Bransby Emsley aged 34 was killed in action serving with the East Lancs Regiment in Normandy. He leaves a widow and son in Barnoldswick. Pte Emsley was a native of Earby.

October 13th

Increased Turnover

The half yearly meeting of the Co-operative Association reported that they had enjoyed an increase in turnover over the previous half year. Consequently they could offer a dividend of 1/- in the £ with an added bonus rate of 9d in the £. A spokesman said, "It is with pleasure that we record another good accounting period".

October 20th

Pte. Jack Midgley aged 31 of the Army Air Corps had been reported missing in NW Europe after taking part in the Arnhem operation last month. He had previously served in North Africa and Sicily campaigns.

October 27th

Barnoldswick Man Killed in Action

Pte. Frank Slater aged 25 has been killed in action in Holland. He was serving with the Monmouthshire Regiment.

Cricketer Presumed Killed

Leading Seaman Parker Firth has been reported "missing presumed killed" while serving with the Royal Navy.

November 3rd

Scouts Red Letter Day

300 members of the Scouting movement from throughout Yorkshire and Lancashire had a marvellous time at the County Rally which was held in Barnoldswick this year.

November 17th

Barnoldswick Man Killed in Action

Lance Corporal Reginald Willcock aged 20 has been killed in North West Europe. He had gone over to France 3 days after D Day and had fought in the struggle for Le Havre with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment.

In German Hands

Pte. Jack Midgley who had previously been reported as missing following operations at Arnhem is now known to be a POW of the Germans.

There is a report from a soldier of his experiences of a 48 hour leave in Brussels. Corporal Watkinson reports that in the liberated capital, toys are available for the children in the largest department stores in the city. Other goods in plentiful supply are fountain pens, and perfumes. The civilian population is generally well dressed however footwear seems to be a problem as the majority can only be seen in either slippers or clogs. He goes on to say that service personnel granted leave in Brussels are given a map of the city and a ration card for food and where to report for accommodation. There are plenty of ENSA shows which can be attended for free or if you fancy a trio to the pictures the cinemas only charge half price for servicemen in uniform.

There are no other casualties reported up to the end of the year.

I have noticed that from around September or October there seems to be a new optimism in some of the reports in the paper. Various meetings and lectures have been held around the town discussing topics such as "The way forward after the war", "When rationing ends" and "What next". The local political parties are also looking toward the future and have had meetings to plan how they will take their parties forward when the war ends. They are gearing up for a General Election which they are sure will follow cessation of hostilities. Births are starting to be reported in the BMD section of the paper, these have generally been absent for the last 4 years, BMD section only tending to record marriages, anniversaries, civilian deaths and In memoriums.

So 1945 opens with a new feeling of optimism for the future, the invasion of mainland Europe and the gains made over the last 6 months has now given the Allies a reason to be confident that the end could be in sight.

Casualties are still being reported though.

January 12th 1945

A report details the local British Legions involvement as pole bearers in the funeral of Pte. William Edward Hargreaves who had died in hospital in England as a result of head injuries suffered while serving in France. He was 34 years of age and had been injured in a lorry which had overturned.
The British Legion pole bearers carried his coffin draped in the Union Flag at his internment at Ghyll Cemetery.

January 19th

It is reported that last year (1944) was the wettest since local records began back in 1911. 1944 saw 51.3" of rain, the average being 40". During the year there had been 223 rainy days, November was the wettest with 9.37" of rain, 28 out of the 30 days of the month had seen rain.

[Stanley]

Fascinating stuff Ian. Doc and I were talking about you the other day when he called in. Were your ears burning? He's been declared surplus to requirements from school maintenance, same syndrome as you, and we were wondering how your job search was going....

[PanBiker]

Ears not burning guys and commiserations to Doc, I didn't know he worked in that field Stanley. For my part I am working part time at the moment but keeping an eye out at the same time. The job feeds on the site are quite useful here to see what's available. One of the problems is of course, due to the very nature of the IT sector if you are out of the hands-on IT loop for too long you can easily get left behind as you are no longer in a position to keep up to speed with emerging technologies and systems. Been in IT for over 20 years but it does not take long to lose "the edge".
Without taking the thread too far off topic, my part time work at the moment is one of the reasons I can put the time in at the library to do the research featured here. I see also that the article is in the BET this week about the proposal to move the memorial. I have done my research on that and already posted it in the BWMG thread. We have discussed the issue on the site already and I certainly know where I stand, I think I will be writing to the paper at some point and dropping in to the tent on the town square next week.

[Kingsley]

Ian, did the reporting of casualties continue after the cessation of official hostilities? for example I am sure there would have been losses in Burma through 1946.

[PanBiker]

I would assume so, I have a way to go yet as I am trying to identify all possible candidates who should be on our memorial. That will not just cover the Second World war but all the other conflicts we have been involved in since. 1968 is the only year that we have not been involved in some theatre of war around the globe.
The memorial already contains some later additions, some are dated others are not. I currently have two potential candidates from WWII that will need further research to confirm. When I have finished going through the BET, I intend to start again checking our other local weekly paper The Craven Herald.
So far from checking through editions of the BET I have found reports on 37 of the individuals commemorated on our memorial. There are 64 names on the memorial including what later additions are present. So I currently have 27 not accounted for or found yet.
I am in to 1945 now, the latter half of 1944 (after D Day) has been the period with the heaviest casualties of the entire war so far. Having the benefit of already knowing the history, the war has progressed to the push through Europe taking the fight into Germany. Victory in this theatre is only 5 months away, but of course there will still be the Pacific and Far Eastern theatres and their aftermath before the final end to this conflict. Onward then to the others where we could have had casualties, Burma, Palestine, Korea, Aden, Suez, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan, probably missed a few in among that lot as well but you will get what I mean.

[Nolic]

Ian, did you come across any mention of my uncle Allan who's name is on the memorial and who is buried at Gill? See below. Nolic

http://twgpp.org/information.php?id=2622126

[PanBiker]

The answer to that Colin is yes and no. I have a spreadsheet with all the names of the casualties from the Barlick memorial. I use this at the library to record the BET edition that I see reports in about each name. The idea being of course if I find a report on a Barlicker who is not on my existing list they then become a potential candidate for addition to the monument.

When I find a report I indicate the weekly edition of the paper and the circumstances related in the report. Your uncle Allan (R.A.Myers) I think must have been the first casualty of the war for Barlick. What I cant understand at the moment is that I have recorded the date of 18/04/1940 in my spreadsheet as the date of the paper I saw the report in but not recorded any details which I can't understand if I have actually read a report.

With the link you have just supplied of the headstone that I also place a cross on each year at Ghyll, it becomes apparent that 18/04/1940 is the date on the headstone so cannot also be the edition of the paper the report would be in. Checking back in my written jottings from the library I cannot find any record of your uncle which is even stranger. I will make a point of pulling the 1940 microfiche again and having another look.

I keep another spreadsheet for my remembrance cross distribution at Ghyll. Your uncle Allan is also on there but I do not record details other than name and location of grave, no dates as it has no relevance to what I use the sheet for which is purely for locating the plot from one year to the next. So there is no chance of me picking up the date during data comparison or anything like that.

[Stanley]

Ian re getting out of the loop. Janet and Harry always assumed that as the languages they were operating in were becoming obsolete, so would their marketability. Turned out they were wrong and when they went back to Oz they were soon sought out and head hunted. Never looked back!

[Nolic]

Ian, only remember a few details from my dad. Allan was not a casualty of war as such but died of pneumonia shortly after volunteering and undertaking basic training. I have a feeling that he may have died before 1940. Thank you for your trouble. Nolic

[PanBiker]

Interesting, his headstone records 18th April 1940. I can understand under certain circumstances such as combat conditions that an exact date of death may not be able to be determined. With Allan's case that situation did not exist and I would assume that he was in hospital so his recorded date you would think would be correct. I do seem to remember reading something about a pneumonia case but can't think for the life in me why I didn't write it down. I will have another look at the microfiche, its no bother and will only take a few minutes to re-check when I do my next session.
It will be on to the Craven Heralds next, which will be a bit more of a faff as quite a few of the reels are wound backwards and the wrong way round.

[PanBiker]

Here is a photo that Gus has posted in the gallery showing the original wooden memorial erected on Fernlea Avenue during the fund-raising stage for the permanent granite War Memorial. The funding for the memorial was provided by public subscription. It's an interesting image as I have not seen it from this viewpoint before. There is another photo in one of the pictorial books published over the years about Barlick I think, but it shows it from the other side and it is not as easy to tell the actual position. I think it has some women in the shot as well which gives an idea of the scale of the temporary structure. It looks to be about 12ft high. This view shows it precisely and interesting to note that it is only a spit from where the actual memorial is sited now. Maybe the good townsfolk of Barlick had their eye on this area for the memorial all along.

[PanBiker]

In the early months of 1945 as the allies push forward through Europe towards Germany, there is growing optimism in the town that an end to hostilities may be in sight. The BET reflects this in the kind of articles it carries, there are lots of meetings and public debates taking place about local issues that will be affected when the war finally ends. Political parties are becoming considerably more vocal as they get back into gear along party lines.

There are no more casualties reported until the issue of May 4th where we find a report of another Barlick soldier who has been reported as killed in action.

May 4th 1945

Lance Sgt. James O'neill was killed in action while serving in Italy. He was a tank driver and is reported as being a native of Barnoldswick.

Lance Sgt. O'neill could well be the last Barlick casualty before the end of hostilities in Europe, that fact remains to be seen. He is however not recorded on our memorial and so becomes the third candidate for inclusion that I have found so far from the reports in the Barnoldswick and Earby Times.

By the date of this issue the war in Europe is almost over. Germany will finally capitulate over the next few days and Victory in Europe day (V.E. day) will be declared for the 8th of May 1945.

There is an odd report that eludes to the fact that the end is imminent, a report states that there will be a Victory Parade in the town and that cotton operatives will be given 2 days holiday with pay. No other bells and whistles or any banner headlines or in fact anything really to reflect the magnitude of the event.

Friday 11th May 1945

Germany finally surrendered on Monday 7th May, there are again no banner headlines just the normal format of the front page with various reports on the final surrender and what impact this may have on the town. A period of festivities would be appropriate but it was also noted that the war in the Far East had yet to be won.

Other reports tell that the town is in festive garb and preparing for celebrations which would take part in the district over the next few weeks to mark the end of hostilities in Europe.

A report from the Civil Defence Association say that from immediate effect, all arms of this particular service including the local ARP would be disbanded.

V.E. thanksgiving services were held in all churches throughout the town and the local district.

May 18th

Reports are now appearing of men's experiences, particularly those who have been liberated from P.O.W. camps as the allies advanced into Germany. Various local men have stories of liberation by British and Russian forces alike. All are said to be glad to be out of Germany.

June 1st

More men are reported home after suffering hard times in Germany, a group of men including a Barlick lad had seized on an opportunity to escape from the camp they were interred in as their German captors heard of advancing allied troops. They made their way out of the camp in Austria and were eventually picked up by advancing Russian troops on V.E. day.

The summer passes with more individual reports on men coming home from the European theatre. The paper covers the "wakes weeks" as normal and the towns continuing shortage of coal which has been a feature of the previous five years and subject to regular announcements and promises of relief from the ministry in charge.

V.J. Day is declared on August 15th 1945, finally bringing the Second World War to an end.

It will actually be into September when the paperwork is completed and as far hence as 1956 for all combatants to finally declare that a state of war no longer exists between some of the nations who took part in the conflict.

August 24th 1945

Joyful Scenes at Barnoldswick

Harrison Street was said to be in happy mood as a street party was held to celebrate the end of hostilities. Other events included a thanksgiving service held at Victory Park football ground. Barnoldswick also held a V.J. Sports Day and other events went on around the town throughout September and into early November.

September 28th

An article on the front page records the following:

Out of Japanese Hands.

Signalman E. Cockerill

Sent a cablegram which reached his parents Mr & Mrs J.E. Cockerill on Friday stating that he is now safe in Madras and hopes to be home soon. From another source, Mr & Mrs Cockerill learned last week (for the first time) that their son had his right hand severed in a battle that developed as soon as his unit had arrived in Malaya 3 and a half years ago. Signalman Cockerill was "missing" over 12 months after the fall of Singapore and it was only after protracted enquiries that news of his whereabouts was obtained.

Serviceman's Hostel.

A report is also given that the closure of the Serviceman's Hostel in Skipton would take place tomorrow, Saturday 29th. The Serviceman's Hostel was in operation for a total of 5 years and 5 months and had offered accommodation and refreshment to thousands of local service personnel stranded in transit throughout the duration.

Another fund-raising effort was set to take place in the town. This would be Barnoldswick Thanksgiving week, set to take place in the week of October 20th - 27th. A target of £40,000 was set.

October 26th

Home from Far East.

Eric Cockerill finally arrives home from his ordeal as a P.O.W. of the Japanese. Eric had to have his right hand amputated as a result of wounds suffered in Malaya. His hand was amputated the day before he was captured in Singapore. He was sent to Changi prison and put to work in the gardens growing vegetables and tapioca root for the inmates of the camp. The prisoners supplemented their ration with cats, snakes and snails just to stay alive. The Gaol was built to accommodate 605 prisoners, the Japanese held 6,000 captive on the site. Eric was 10st when he joined the forces in October 1939, he weighed just over 7st when he arrived back in Barlick and this was after hospitalisation in Madras where he was evacuated to by boat and then flown home to the UK by the R.A.F. He had served in the Reconnaissance Corps from September 1939 until his capture in Singapore in 1941.

Soldiers Death in Borneo

Lance Bombadier Arthur Watson Robinson was reported as having died on the 11th March whilst a POW of the Japanese in Borneo. Cause of death was not known, he was aged 32. His wife had received 5 postcards from him since previous notification of his capture in 1943.

November 9th 1945

An very interesting report to round of this session with the BET in 1945. A front page report carries this report:

HOSPITALS SHOULD BE NATIONALISED

Barnoldswick Committees Resolution

It was decided at a bi-monthly meeting of Barnoldswick Hospital Fund & District Nursing Association on Friday evening to make representations to the government to Nationalise Hospitals and all Hospital Services forthwith. The motion was carried unanimously.

[PanBiker]

Made a start today on the microfiche's for the Craven Herald at the library. Spent the first hour figuring my way round the first two reels (which cover half of the war years) being wound backwards and upside down on the reel. Karen let me in to the upstairs workroom where they have the old manual machine with two removable spools. A few rewinds and flips on each reel and I managed to get them back into shape suitable for the fixed reel machine downstairs. I took the opportunity to check the other reels covering the war years. All is now in order to check for casualties.

The first thing that is immediately noticeable about the CH is that the fiches have been photographed in landscape as opposed to the portrait orientation of the BET. The net result of this is that the full height of the page is not visible at a reasonable zoom level without having to pan the image on each page. The CH is a broadsheet publication at the time just like the BET was but uses a smaller typeface. If you zoom to see the whole page on the screen the text looks about 9pt which is not particularly easy to read especially as it is projected and subject to minor defocussing errors with the tolerances of the film through the gate. It is not going to be as easy to scan these as the BET.

I started in August of 1939 and have used the first couple of months issues up to the end of September to orient myself with the layout of the paper. It differs from the BET in that the West Craven news is usually on page 4 -6. with odd mentions in other areas of the paper. I'm hoping that casualty reports will be reported consistently in the same area. I will find this out in time. The issues I have looked at so far have had a couple of columns adjacent to the Cravenman's Diary area dedicated to reports on how the war is progressing, I hope this continues. One saving grace is that the library has an index for the CH covering most issues. The index covers the main stories in each issue and deaths although it remains to be seen if military casualties will be indexed, I ran out of time to check today. I spent about 90 minutes this afternoon actually looking at the microfiche's. I covered 8 issues in this time.

I'm going to knock another crib sheet up and spend my next visit transcribing the deaths from the index to see if they cover the names on my list that I have found in the BET. I would assume they would have been reported in both papers more or less at the same time. If they are in the index it will be a bonus. I will also cross check the index with a few individual issues to see how comprehensive it is. Anything that might help cut down a 10 minute read of every issue in 9pt will be welcome. Once I got my eye in on the BET I could normally check each issue in half that time if not less. I can't understand why the archiving department photographed a broadsheet newspaper in landscape rather than portrait, most modern fiche machines will allow the transport mechanisms to be rotated through 90 degrees for viewing. I'll see how I get on with the fiche anyway, the library has hard copy of a lot of the issues upstairs, it may well be easier checking the originals if they have them.

[Stanley]

Impressive Ian. I hope you get proper recognition for the work you are putting in. It ain't easy!

[PanBiker]

Not really Stanley, but thanks for the comment. It's no real chore trolling the newspapers as it's so fascinating and it's the only way I know of getting at the information. If anyone knows of a more efficient way of finding local casualties of war I would be very interested to hear about it.