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Transcript © 2003 Hubmaker. All rights reserved.
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RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
February 17th 1942
My
dear Lads,
Here we are, right at the beginning of Lent and I know that you
will expect me to do my duty and make my letter each week as helpful
as I can from a purely spiritual point of view. On account of wartime
conditions the Bishop of Blackburn has granted us, in Tarleton,
permission to hold quiet social evenings, Hot pots etc. in the schools
throughout Lent. What is the matter with this war is that so far
we have relied too much upon externals, guns, aeroplanes, tanks
etc., and have very largely left God out of account. It has often
been the case of old, and it always brought disaster. Read Psalm
20, if you can get hold of a Prayer Book. It says "Some put
their trust in chariots and some in horses; but we will remember
the Name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen;
but we are risen and stand upright." You see even in those
days they noticed it. Our cry must be "Our help is in the Name
of the Lord“, and that means that we must find time to attend
Church and especially to be present at Holy Communion. You all,
every one of you, know my views, for I have certainly not hidden
them. "Apart from Me", said our Saviour, "ye can
do nothing", and that is absolutely true to day. So we must
get back to God, learn to know Him and to love Him, and to Worship
Him. Then, and not till then, shall we be safe.
Please shew this letter to your Chaplain and ask him to let you
help him in his work of bringing men to Christ, the Rock of Ages.
What a glorious contribution that would be towards winning the war.
May God bless you all and bring you all closer to Him, Ever your
affectionate friend,
L. N. FORSE.
News
from the Home Front.
Dr. and Mrs. Croft have received official notification that their
eldest son, Captain Fred Croft, R.A., who was previously reported
missing in the battle in Lybia, on Nov.26th of last year, is now
reported a prisoner of war. On Monday evening the Tarleton National
Fire Service had a supper and social evening in the schools. The
rector was invited but was unable to be present owing to indisposition.
On Wednesday the local A.R.P. and their wives, had a hot pot supper
at Garlick's when the rector was able to accept the kind invitation
to be present. We congratulate Mr. Gilbert Marsden and his colleagues
on an excellent evening. Present also were Mr. Higham, of Maghull,
the area Chief Warden; Sergeant Saul, the new Police sergeant at
Croston; Sergeant Forsyte, of Penwortham; P. C. Davis of H.B.; and
P. C. Simpson of Tarleton and their wives. The large tar tank belonging
to the W.L.R.D.C. used for spraying the roads caught fire at Mere
Brow last week. Two fire engines stood by while it burnt itself
out. No material damage was done. Mrs. Ball (nee Eva Sephton of
Gorse Lane) who married a Banks man, had a little girl last week.
Stanley Quinlan, R.A.F. was married on Saturday at Crossens to Betty
Ainscough of that place. Betty is a cousin of Mrs. Harry Sutton
of Haig Avenue. Roger Singleton, well known to all as a conductor
on the H.M.S. busses is coming to live in one of Webster's Houses
in Gorse Lane. Mr. and Mrs. Coates, who used to live in this house
have gone back to Preston. The Mothers' Union held a dance in the
schools on Friday evening in aid of their Comforts Fund. Mrs. Kerriush
the mother of Sergeant Kerruish R.A.F., the airman who was killed
night bombing over Germany, was taken suddenly ill on Tuesday and
was rushed off to Preston Infirmary for an operation. She is still
very ill. The Kerruish's lodge at Robert Bonney's (Cuerden Farm).
Miss Lizzie Barron, Doctor's Lane, Sollom, underwent a serious operation
in Southport Infirmary on Wednesday, and is still very seriously
ill. It is Tarleton War Weapon Week, this week and we are out to
raise £10,000. Will let you know the result when published.
H.B. is also having its War Weapons week this week, so there will
be same keen, if friendly, rivalry. Fred Forshaw's baby son was
christened at Hoole Parish Church on Sunday by the rector of Hoole,
the Rev. T. Watkins. The baby was given the names Ian, Godfrey,
Houghton, and the rector of Tarleton was one of the Godfathers.
The rector of Tarleton on Sunday christened the infant daughter
of Pte and Mrs. Forrest (Nee Molly Burns) with the names Patricia
Mary. Harry Forrest, of course, comes from Hoole and at present
is with our Forces in the middle east. Jack Edmondson is marrying
Beatrice Cookson of Hesketh Bank sometime within the next fortnight.
On
Leave.
Harold Aspey, Dan Johnson (Banks), Edwin Johnson (Holmes),Robert
Watson (Mere Brow), Dan Stazicker, Matt Farrington (Walmer Bridge),
Tom Smith, Bob Sharples (Hesketh Bank), Stanley Quinlan, Harry Iddon,
Tom Parkinson, Fred Forshaw, Robert Parkinson, Gerry Pendlebury,
Tom Dandy (for week-end), Tom Rigby (Toll Bar), Tom Southworth,
(Hesketh Lane).
Extracts from Letters.
Comes a letter from Malaya, from L/Cpl John Tindsley, dated Oct.
26th of last year and containing a Christmas card. He says "I
am afraid that this will not be a long letter as I had the misfortune
to fracture my right wrist whilst playing Rugger and I have still
got it encased in plaster. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude
for faithfully sending the N.L. each week. Its coming is just like
a ray of sunlight on a cold winter's day. Incidentally I wonder
what a cold winter's day feels like these days. I have almost forgotten".
Wishes to be remembered to all the boys. AC Tom Dandy writes to
say that he is in a very large R.A.F. camp, and adds “the
only trouble is that we are a long way from the nearest village,
which is about 2 miles away". Says he starts at 6.30 a.m. and
finishes at 5 p.m. Dvr Jack Robinson says that George Formby visited
his Unit but he did not get to speak to him; but when Peggy Carlisle,
one of the Carlisle sisters of wireless fame, visited his Unit he
did get to speak to her and she kindly put her autograph on the
back of one of his photographs. Says he has a lot of good mates,
but has not yet seen Tom Spencer. Wishes to be remembered to all
the lads away and thanks all those good people of Tarleton who are
working so hard for them. Pte Ronnie Johnson writes to say that
he is on an eight weeks' specialist course on motors and so he will
not get any leave until he has finished it. Wishes to thank the
M.U., the B.L., and others for all they are doing for the lads.
Also sends his best wishes to his brother and all other Tarleton
lads in the Forces. AC Will Clee (Kearsley Avenue,) has now gone
to another camp which he says is four miles from the nearest station.
Adds "Concerts, dances, boxing, and an occasional film we have
in camp, which helps to keep our spirits up." Says he was in
Liverpool last week visiting his father and mother. Ends "I
would like to be remembered to Alf Rowland, Tom Harrison, and Garrard
Pendlebury, all through the N.L." An Airgraph from Trooper
Ted Barnish saying "we are resting after spending months up
in the desert, and, as you will already have heard, have had a few
encounters with Jerry." Says that the N.Ls are now few and
far between and thinks a good many are at the bottom of the sea.
However, some do get through and he says "I smile when I read
that the boys at home say they are lonely when only three or four
miles from the nearest village. I wonder what they would feel like
if they were like us 800 miles from one. Sends his best wishes to
all his friends. George Spencer, who is on munitions, says he is
on a new job driving a van. Has been to Slough and Guildford and
enjoyed the latter drive over the Devil’s Punch Bowl. Says
he hopes to be married on Easter Saturday. Ends "I would like
to be remembered through the N.L. to my Bible Class mates who used
to go to the Toll Bar on Sunday afternoons in the good old times."
Marine Kenneth Nicholson who is with his ship in a very distant
part of the world writes on November 12th 1941, to say that his
August mail has just reached him. Says "We, out here, are making
the best of the war and are all looking forward to the time when
we shall set foot in England. Wishes to congratulate Harry Iddon
on joining the first Regiment in the world (the Marines). Says "We
did a march past the other day and our Captain said we were excellent.
We gave them an idea of what a soldier should look like. We have
been able to get a little sport in since we have been in harbour.
It gives everyone a change and breaks the monotony." Thanks
the ladies of the B.L. and the M.U. for doing so much to make things
better for the Lads away and says he hopes their efforts will be
rewarded by a speedy victory. Sergeant Nick Dewhurst says that he
is sorry to hear that the rector has been ill but is sure that he
will very soon be perfectly fit "because you are under the
observation of a very fine gentleman" (Dr.Lawrence Croft).
Goes on "No doubt you will see that I have gone up another
stage, and I must say that the higher you go in the Guards the more
they expect, but once a Guardsman always a Guardsman". We congratulate
the Sergeant on his well deserved promotion. Says he is teaching
a party of N.C.Os from other units and adds "the more I see
them the more I think of what my Company Sergeant Major the first
few days when he was taking us in drill said "Bigger men I
have seen, but better never." Trooper Ralph Whitehead writes
to say he hopes to be married (at Tarleton) on Easter Monday. More
or less a private letter so more extracts cannot be given. Pte Ken
Robshaw is still in hospital and says “what a grand lot of
nurses we have, and how well they look after us". Says that
he has had no snow where he is but it is very cold. Wishes to be
remembered to all the lads he knows and hopes that the rector is
now better. O/S Dick Burns R.N. has now moved but says his N.Ls
have been forwarded to him. Suggests that it might help the rector
to recover if he dropped the N.L. for one week, but adds "but
don't stop it altogether because if you were to do that Heaven knows
what we would do, as I and many more lads would never know what
was going on in Tarleton”. Ends "Please remember me to
all my brothers in the Forces, Jim, R. A. S. C., M.E.F. Tom, R.
A. S. C. (Dunkirk Hero), George, Irish Guards; and brothers-in-law,
George West Tank Corps, Harry Forrest,Signals M.E.F., and all my
Friends on Active Service. |
