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Transcript © 2003 Hubmaker. All rights reserved.
Reproduction by any means strictly prohibited.
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
January 16th 1942
My
dear Lads,
It has given me great satisfaction to receive so many letters showing
how much you all appreciate the great loss to the Church in general
and to myself personally that has been sustained by the death of
Mr. Fred Webster. He really is irreplaceable, and until you all
come home and take up parts of the many functions he performed,
my burden will, indeed, be heavy. That I should be able to look
to you in the future is evidenced by the letter I received from
the Bishop of Gambia (West Africa) of which I wrote to you last
week. He says "It would do your heart good to see how many
young Englishmen in the Forces come voluntarily to our African Services.
Not that the services are especially for Africans but, until the
war brought English Churchmen out, we never had any but Africans
present. Their regular, keen attendances at our Services give very
great joy to my African Christians, and are a wonderful witness
to the Mohammedans. They are real missionaries and I am most heartily
grateful." The Bishop wrote to me because he wanted all to
know the great help Dick Rymer and his brother Officers had rendered
him in his work. I am indeed proud of my lads for I am continually
hearing from their Chaplains of the help they render. It considerably
helps me to bear my many burdens.
With my love and all my pride, ever your grateful friend, L.N.FORSE.
NEWS
FROM THE HOME FRONT.
P.C.Robert Davies, of Hesketh Bank, has received the King's Police
Medal for gallantry, in recognition of his rescue of George Dawson,
a Croston labourer, who was overcome by gas while working down a
12 ft sewer manhole in Town Road, Croston, last August. P.C. Thomas
Simpson, of Tarleton, was married on Monday and has returned with
his wife to Tarleton. Mr. James Iddon, Hesketh Bank's oldest inhabitant,
died last week aged 90 years. A nearby A.A. Unit has challenged
our Home Guard football
team to a match. Over 100 guests were invited to the wedding of
Margaret Coulton, Green Lane Farm, Sollom, to Raymond Ivison Golifar,
of H.B. Tom Parkinson, who is in the R.A.F. was home for 48 hrs
last Sunday. Went for bus at Cock and Bottle on his return, found
it was not running, rector's car was out, so he could not get to
Preston for last train. Rector rang up his Orderly Room and made
matters right, and he returned first train next morning. Owing to
buses not running quite a lot of people were stranded and many came
to Rectory to ask to ring up anxious relatives. Some stayed in Tarleton
all night. The rector gave the Sunday School children their prizes
during Evensong on Sunday afternoon. Dick Burn's baby was christened
on Sunday with the names Patricia Mary. The Navy gave him leave
for the occasion. Annual meeting of the British Legion, Tarleton
Branch on Monday last. The rector was elected Chairman for the 11th
year in succession. With all the lads, the chief patrons of the
Club, away, it has fallen on thin years, so the rector is making
a public appeal for help to carry on till the boys come home. Jimmy
Hulton of Fulwood Avenue, who was a premium apprentice at the Leyland
Motor works was killed at 7.30 on Monday morning while motor cycling
to Leyland. He ran into the back of a stationary Army lorry. He
was 21years of age. He was the Armourer and Corporal of the Signals
of the Home Guard.
He was buried at Tarleton on Thursday. A detachment of 50 local
Home Guard, under
Captain Dean, formed a Guard of Honour at New Church where the Service
was held. Fellow premium apprentices from Leyland were bearers from
the house to the Church, then the H.G. took over this duty. Mr.Thomas
Robshaw, Doctor's Lane, Sollom, died on Tuesday. He is to be buried
at Tarleton on Saturday. The rector telegraphed Kenneth's C.O. for
compassionate leave, got it, but Kenneth was in military hospital.
Frank Croft, third son of Dr. and Mrs. Croft was married on Thursday
at Bradford. Commander John Caunce, Hesketh Lane, is home on short
leave. Corporal Michel Gicquel,of the Free French Forces, has been
promoted to the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant. We congratulate
him upon his rapid promotion. There was a Home
Guard dance in Conservative Hall on Tuesday evening. Sergeant
Withers, who was Sergeant Ernie Ball’s Q.M.S. when he joined
the R.A.S.C. in 1940, has been staying with Mr. and Mrs.Ball in
Gorse Lane, convalescing after a long spell in a military hospital
in the N. W. During his visit to Tarleton he put on 11 lb. in weight.
He had been discharged from Army owing to his health before he came
to Tarleton.
ON
LEAVE.
L/ Cpl Fred Forshaw for 7 days. A.C.Billy Molyneux for 7 days. Gdsn
Jack Moss for 7 days. Dvr. Tom Harrison for 7 days. Dvr. Billy Harrison
has just returned to duty "over the water” after 14 days
leave with three extra days for travelling. Sapper Norman Barron
for 7 days. Dvr Harry Cookson for 7 days. Dvr. John Ball for 7 days.
Dvr Tommy Burns for 7 days. A.B. Dick Burns, R.N. for 48 hrs. Pte
Tom Fazackerley for 7 days. Sapper Hugh Rowland for 7 days. Pte
Arthur Harrison for seven days. Sergeant Ernie Ball for seven days.
George Spencer for week end.
EXTRACTS
FROM LETTERS.
Corpl Jimmy Burns sends a long letter, with a good photo enclosed,
from the Middle East. Says the N.Ls keep getting through to him,
and he had five all together on the day he wrote. Says that he sees
in the N.L. the title "On Leave", and goes on "What
does this word mean. I have been out here a year and two months
and have had no leave, so have quite forgotten its meaning.'' He
then goes on "but, as we all do who come from Tarleton we keep
on smiling." Ends by saying that he cannot get to Church on
Sundays as they work all day. Says his Chaplain is seeing the O.C.
about it adding "I hope and pray he does as it is a long time
since I missed Church like this, but the Chaplain says that if he
can do nothing he will go back home." Dvr Walter Moss writes
from aboard ship a very long way from England. Says "I have
at last found time to write, although heaven knows what I am going
to say.” In spite of this he writes a long letter full of
interest. At a port of call he was done handsomely by the inhabitants.
"A marvellous time, the people were absolutely wonderful to
us, they invited us to their houses, fed us, took us for rides and
gave us the best of everything.” Says that he is writing his
letters with no shirt on, no socks, just a pair of shorts, and "sweating
my brains out", while I can picture people in England crowding
round the fire because it is so very cold. Ends "You can tell
my people at home that I am O.K. and that they have absolutely nothing
to worry about." Provost Sergeant Michel Gicquel, Free French
Forces says "Pour la seconde frois, j’ai l’honneur
de vous faire part de ma nouvelle promotion au grade de sergeant,
ainsi que mon affectation a la police militataire”. All of
which means to the uninitiated that he has been promoted to the
rank of sergeant in the Military Police, but whether or not he wears
a “red cap" as a member of Free French Forces we cannot
say. Ends his interesting letter `J' espere vous rendre visite au
cours de cette permission. Recevez, Monsieur, mes salutations le
plus distinguez." Which in plain English means that he hopes
to pay the rector a personal visit on his forthcoming leave, and
sends him his best respects. Aircraftsman Tom Smith says "Standing
in the Slipstream of a 1,000 h.p. aircraft is no joke on a frosty
day. I would prefer sitting in front of a large fire toasting my
shins, with a large cup of coffee at my elbow. But then, I am a
man of simple taste. “ Says he is approaching the end of his
course and that means he will have to part company with his pals
who have been with him since July and this he will be most sorry
to do. Soliloquizes thus "Going out to a Squadron without my
friends will be like opening a door and not knowing what is on the
other side." Says that he sends his N,Ls home so that his home
folk can find out what is happening in Tarleton. Pte. Robert Parkinson,
R.A.C.C. who has recently joined up says "I can't grumble at
this camp, we have plenty to eat and we finish at 4p.m.” Adds
that he is keeping quite fit and hopes that we have a better Church
Choir by the time he comes back after the war. After five week’s
training his lot get seven day’s leave which as he says "is
not so bad". W.A.A.F. Vera Iddon says she is with a very big
balloon training centre and has to go to school for eleven weeks;
but it is all very interesting and she does not mind going back
to school. Wishes to be remembered to her brother-in-law Pte Arthur
Harrison, and also to A/C Walter Rawsthorne in Canada. Asks for
the N.L. to be sent regularly. Also says "It is Church Parade
in the morning and my thoughts are always at Tarleton during the
Service." Adds that she is doing fine in the W.A.A.Fs, and
feels that she is ‘doing her bit’ to help the war, which
as she says ‘can’t last for ever.’ Last, but by
no means least, comes a letter from Dvr.Jack Robinson who is overseas
saying that he had a glorious Christmas and New year visiting some
good friends he has made and going to parties. Had a busy Christmas
morning taking the Padre to four different camps. Says "It
was great, and after he had finished and I had got him back to our
own camp he gave me two days off. He is very good to me, I must
say, and he also wishes to be remembered to you, sir." The
rector through the N.L. sends Jack's Padre the very best of good
wishes for the New Year, and is very proud to find one of his own
lads so well thought of. |
