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Transcript © 2003 Hubmaker. All rights reserved.
Reproduction by any means strictly prohibited.
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
February 18th 1943
My
dear Boys and Girls,
Harry Rigby, while on leave in the Middle East, made a pilgrimage
to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Archimandrate
Kyriakos (Orthodox Bishop of Jerusalem) presented him with a printed
certificate of his visit. At the end of this are the words, "We
pray and beseech the Almighty and Eternal God that He will bless
and save this Pilgrim, preserving him from all evil and danger;
and that He will guide and strengthen him in the way of piety and
holiness, so that he may take his part in the building of Christ'
s Kingdom on Earth". Mark those last words "so that he
may take his part in the building of Christ's Kingdom on Earth".
They are well worth repeating, and well worth careful thought. It
is what we are fighting for. It is the only way to bring real Peace
upon earth. Each one should ask himself or herself "Am I preparing
myself to take my part in this great and glorious task?" It
is a great privilege, a great responsibility. Are we rising to the
occasion? Are we buying up the opportunity? Show this letter to
your mates, and your Chaplain, and have a really good discussion
on these questions.
With my love and my Blessing,
Ever, as you all know, your eager fellow worker,
L.N.FORSE.
HOME
FRONT NEWS.
Mr. Joe Moore, the porter, found a man dead on the railway line
at Hesketh Bank on Sunday morning. He was found to be Mr. Griffiths,
of Moss Lane. He had been to Preston with his wife on Saturday night,
sent her home when they got out at H.B., saying he would follow.
That was the last seen of him before being found next morning. Verdict
at Inquest Misadventure.
Marine Harry Iddon home on leave with his girl friend. She is in
the A.T.S. lives at Cheadle, near Manchester, is stationed somewhere
in Yorkshire, and is named Muriel Watkinson.
The rector has been appointed Welfare Officer of "E" Company,
Home Guard. The Chapel Mothers' Class gave Mrs. Dandy, Coe Lane,
a Tea Party in the Chapel Schoolroom on Tuesday to celebrate her
80th Birthday.
Jack Mee, the butcher, has passed A.1. for the Army. Dick Iddon,
the builder, is working in Lincolnshire under the new national scheme
for using tradesmen where they are most needed.
Mrs. Twist, widow of Tom Twist of the Moss, fell into a dyke on
the Moss while coming home from shopping. She was in an hour before
someone heard her cries and got her out. She was up and out next
morning at the usual time. Bob Iddon, (worked for Jack Mee), is
home on leave. Bill Pye, roadman at Bretherton, dropped dead while
walking up the fold to his brother's house. Mary Bretherton, of
Bretherton, has died aged 80 years. Mr. James Baybutt is in Southport
Infirmary.
John Ball, Jeffrey Wignall, Harry Alty, Stanley Quinlan, Nick Forshaw,
on leave, and Dick and George Burns got home for Tom's wedding.
Mrs. Dick Howard (married Eli Howard's son) has presented her husband
with a little girl. Mrs. Gerald Blakemore, going down cellar steps,
broke her ankle and is now in Southport Infirmary. Mr. Joseph Hague,
(opposite Water Tower, recently married to Polly Taylor, H.B.) was
cutting trees at Laund, Hesketh Lane, slipped and, broke his collar
bone and elbow and is now in the Infirmary. Mr. James Forshaw, also
cutting trees, slipped and broke a small rib, but he is out and
about. Up to date the men collecting for the draining etc. of the
new extension to the Churchyard have collected about £450,
and there is still some more to come in.. The Local A.R.P. held
a Whist Drive and Dance in the Schools for the N.L. They made a
profit of £15 which they have handed to the rector for the
N.L. Fund. On behalf of all the lads we thank them most sincerely
for their welcome help. Muriel Iddon is now able to sit up and take
a little solid nourishment. John Spencer, Fred Bentham, Ronnie Iddon,
Frank Foulds, Mary Pye, Mary Ascroft, Kathleen Ritchings have formed
a Committee to run a young People's Fellowship in the Schools every
Wednesday evening.
No more news has come to hand concerning the condition of Corpl.
Frank Foster, in Ceylon. Alan Barnes is on leave. Stanley Quinlan's
wife has had to go back into hospital. Tom Walsh on leave last week.
Miss Elizabeth Latham leaves our School and takes up her appointment
as Assistant Mistress at Ormskirk Senior School at the end of this
month.
EXTRACTS
FROM LETTERS.
L.A.C. Harry Rigby sends an airgraph from the M.E.F. saying, "During
the push of Jerry from Alamein we were up to the eyes in it, and
it was work for all for 24 hrs. a day, practically. But it has been
worth it and our efforts have helped to bring this ghastly war to
shall we say - an earlier finish than we might have expected. I
would like to tell you more about the part played by this Squadron
in the earlier stages of this battle, but am afraid it will have
to wait until we meet in person. Prior to November I managed to
get 7 days' leave and went into Palestine and visited Bethlehem,
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is a leave that I shall long remember.
Please remember me to Yorrie Davies, Nick Forshaw and Ronnie Iddon
through the medium of the N. L."
Corpl. Harry Forrest in his airgraph from the M.E.F., says "Well
her's a line in answer to your most welcome N.Ls. I don't know whether
you have heard that I have spent the last two months in a MiIitary
Hospital, but now I am due to leave in a few days' time and rejoin
my own Unit and try and retain my new rank as L/Sgt. which I gained
at the early stages of my hospital life. Please remember me through
your N.L. to all who are serving in H.M.Forces both at home and
abroad." (Sorry to hear that you have been in hospital, Harry,
but many congratulations upon your promotion.)
An airgraph comes from Sapper Dick Johnson saying "I have been
at this Middle East Convalescent Depot three weeks now. It is quite
nice right on the edge of the sea, and I have enjoyed my stay. Christmas
here was very good and I think that everyone enjoyed it. I would
be obliged if you would give Tommy Burns my address and ask him
to drop me a line. I intend to write you a letter in a few days
time with more news in it."
Dvr. Sid Ball writes a letter dated Monday 1.30 a.m. and explains
it as follows "I am on guard and that is why I have put the
time on the top. I am nearly ready for finishing, and as I am on
duty all the morning I shall have to go to bed in the afternoon.
Please give my best wishes to all the Tarleton lads when you can
find room in the N.L.
Pte. George Farrington says "Thanks a lot for your N.Ls. We
have a Church of England Padre in our camp. We go down into ----
for our Church Services and he takes them in the old Gym. He is
a very good preacher. I shall have to close now, for time is rather
short in the Army:"
Pte. Robert Hull writes "As you will see my address has changed
and I am now nearer home than I have been before. It is a lot better
north than it is down south. I am now a driver on a Bren gun carrier.
I like it very much as it is most interesting. Please remember me
through the N.L. to Bill Harrison in the R.A., his brother Jimmy,
in the R.E.S, and Jack Marsden in the R.N. and to all the Tarleton
lads in the Forces. Please give my new address to Miss Webster so
that I do not miss the N.Ls."
O.S.Jimmy Latham says "I am sending you my new address. I arrived
here after travelling all night. The camp is good, also the food,
and it is a big change from my last camp. My letter will seem to
you like a note, but it is the address I want you to get. I will
have some more news for you in my next letter."
L/Cpl. Richard Townsley writes "I am sorry I have not written
before, but as I am in an out of the way place there is not much
to write about. Thank you for the N.Ls. which I receive regularly
and enjoy,as they are the only way I get to know what is happening
in my own Village and in the surrounding districts, and I get all
the news in detail. Nothing ever happens around here. May I ask
you to remember me through the N.L. to my brothers in-law, Harry
Harrison, Billy Benjamin and Allan Barnes, and also to the Carr
brothers in the Forces."
Dvr. John Caunce writes from a Military hospital saying "I
rembered nothing from Sunday night when I came in here until Monday
afternoon when I came round and wondered wherever I was. I had a
temp. of 105 when I came in and up to this morning it has never
been less than 100. Anyway I am feeling more like myself now, but
I cannot say how long I
shall have to stay here. I asked the doctor this morning when I
could get up. He said "Talking about getting up, you have only
been in bed five minutes." To me it seems more like five years".
Pte. Leslie Carr writes "I am expecting to be transferred to
my brother Bill in the near future. He has put a claim in for me
and now I am just waiting for the C.Os signature. I hope you don't
think that I have forgotten you, and the good work you are doing
to help all of us who are in the Forces to keep us all together
and in touch with our friends at home."
O.A. Jimmy Sutton. R.N. says "There is not much work here for
me at present, and it would suit me grand if they would give me
a draft to another job, in England, please! We had a pretty strong
gale here last night and it blew the frames out of the windows of
our dormitory, so you can just imagine what it was like with a nice
breeze flowing round our feet. I went home with a lad from Stirling
and we had a very good time. We all have an afternoon off and we
are to 'sleep it!".
Pte. Ronnie Sergeant writes "Tomorrow I shall have been here
five weeks and we still have another five weeks to go. The work
here is very interesting and I am learning quite a lot as well.
I understand that this is the best Fitters' School in the country.
We have about forty instructors and each one is a first class technician." |
