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No:261
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
2nd April 1945

My dear Boys and Girls,
Well!! We are doing fine and, thanks to all of you, we are at long last seeing daylight. It may easily happen that before you receive this letter the actual fighting in Germany may be over. You, of course, are the ones to thank for all this; for we at home have merely done our usual daily tasks, a little harder perhaps, but then we have had home comforts and very few privations. And we do thank you. Our great task, I suppose, will come later, in seeing, firstly, that you get the treatment that you all so thoroughly deserve, good jobs, good houses, and good pay; and secondly that the world is put right again after being thrown for so long into such terrible disorder. This last will be a very big job indeed and it will take all the time and thought and energy of every right-minded man to bring order out of such chaos. But it has to be done, and it must be done, and we are the ones to do it. And, knowing you all as I do, I know you will rise to the occasion and buy up the opportunity, for re-establishing the world that now willy-nilly presents itself to our attention. Again many thanks for all you have done, and endured, and with many prayers and my blessings on you all, ever your grateful old rector, LN Forse.

HOME FRONT NEWS
Mrs. Emma Butterworth, who used to live at Bolton's Farm, Blackgate Lane (mother of Frank and Clifford) died at Wesham Hall Farm, nr. Kirkham, on Tuesday and was buried at Tarleton on Saturday. She was 65 years of age. Joey Keane, who obtained leave from B.L.A. to attend her sister's funeral, flew home. Jimmy Abram, Hesketh Lane, was married on Saturday, at Ormskirk to Winifred Laing, Sandy Laing's sister. Freddy Harrison was the Best Man. Mrs. Tommy Ascroft (nee Nora Ascroft of Holmes) presented her husband with a second son last Tuesday. The Banns of Marriage between Tom Swale and Mary Spencer (Carr Lane) were published in Church for the first time last Sunday. Mrs. David Wright (Moss Lane) has been taken to Preston Infirmary suffering from appendicitis. Her husband the eldest son of Will Wright, Tarleton Moss. The Young People's Fellowship went for a cycle ride on Good Friday to Parbold Hill and had tea in the Delph Tea Gardens.
All the Easter Services at Church were well attended, especially the early Services of Holy Communion.

ON LEAVE:
Johnny Hague; Frank Timperley; John Ascroft; Arthur Harrison; Will Wright; George Almond; Jimmy Monaghan; Walter Rawsthorne; Harold Pilkington (embarkation); Jack Twist; David Rimmer. Ken Baxendale (Hesketh Bank) who was wounded while fighting in Holland, has been home in Hospital blue. He is doing well. Mrs. Jeffrey Wignall (nee Grace Rigby) is spending Easter with her husband who is in the Army, near Egham, Surrey.
Frank Foster has become the hon. Secretary of the Wesley Tennis Club and is busy canvassing for new members. He already has 37. Jimmy West (Kearsley Avenue) joined the Army last Tuesday. Congratulations. Just as we go to press we are officially informed that Field Marshal B.L. Montgomery has presented Fred Bentham with a Certificate of Merit for gallantry on the Field of Battle. We have not got full particulars, but we understand that he saved his gun crew in very difficult circumstances at Nijmegen. We think that Fred is the first Tarleton lad to get this much coveted Certificate and we congratulate him most heartily on behalf of all his many friends in Tarleton. Further details will be given in the NL next week.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS.
Dvr. William Whittle writes from B.L.A. "I don't know whether the Censor will let me tell you that I am in Germany or not. I hope he will. I have just left a place in Holland that was so much like dear old Tarleton that it was the one place over here I deeply regretted leaving. There was a canal with plenty of barges, just like the old 'cut', and we were billeted in a Café, and next door was another and in this I was appointed (by myself) musician. My instrument was an electric gramophone, and all I had to do was to put on half a dozen records. Where I am now in Germany I am sitting on an old couch which, in my opinion, has seen better days in a farmyard, and out on the road the traffic is simply streaming by in an endless stream, not such a healthy sign for Jerry. Please convey my best wishes to my two old schoolmates Frank Taylor and Bobby Edmondson."
Dvr. Tom Sutton (Holmeswood Hall, Mere Brow) writes from B.L.A. "I have now moved into Belgium and I am now stationed miles out in the country. It is a bit like our country at home, and I am enjoying it. I spent a very enjoyable leave in Brussels, in fact the best 48 hours' leave I have ever had. I am getting some nice joy rides all over Belgium in my wanderings, but I have not met anybody I know yet. I would like you to remember me to my pals of Mere Brow wherever they are. I heard from Walter Ascroft yesterday. So cheerio to all at Tarleton and Mere Brow.
Petty Officer Jack Hodge R.N., writes "I have now got my new ship. At the present moment I am sitting in the Mess by myself, all the other E.R.A's have gone ashore, and I am on duty. Just before I left Barracks I was walking through the Mess when I met Nick Forshaw and we had a few words together. He said he was expecting a draft any time, but he thought it might be in the Home Fleet, as he has only just come back from a long spell at Malta. Remember me through the NL to Arthur Proctor, R.N., Jack Waters, R.N., Arthur Barron, B.L.A., and all the boys and girls.
Sapper Jimmy Harrison writes from B.L.A., "I am settled down again after my very pleasant leave. There was the usual 'You've had it' stuff thrown at me when I got back among the lads here but I didn't need much reminding; but at least I am spared the agony of waiting for my name to come out of the hat. I should be grateful if you would remember me, through the NL to George Taylor, Bill Wright and Fred Bentham."
L/Cpl. Ken Robshaw writes from India Command, and incidentally heads his letter 'Monthly News Letter - First Issue.' He says, "I am having a shot at having a News Letter all of my own. The first ENSA show was held on 8/2/45. Some good songs and good jokes, altogether a good entertainment for the troops. The second ENSA show was on 1/3/45, very enjoyable. The last ENSA show took place on 15/3/45. A Dance Band conducted by Billy Hind, but what most impressed me was a song by the youngest of them all, Betty Blith, entitled 'Swinging on a Star.' A good show held in the open on the Football Ground."
Cpl. William Bridge writes from B.L.A., "Last weekend I travelled on my motor cycle to a Service and enjoyed it very much. I must say that your B.L.A. Preston Service is certainly a fine idea. I, myself, know only too well what it is like to walk home. I am expecting to be on leave in the next month and will call at the Rectory. I've been over here since D. Day, so you can imagine I'm feeling like a glimpse of good old Tarleton. My regards to Dick Sephton, Jimmy Burns, and also to my brothers-in-law Tom and Ken Dandy. You might add that as Tom is over here I am keeping a good look out for him."
Pte. Jack Ashcroft writes from B.L.A. "I am more or less having a rest cure at present before moving further on. Having spent the winter in a village something like Tarleton, and having got to know the people fairly well, I have got some idea of what it's like after four years of occupation. I suppose it would be difficult for the people at home to realise what it means, or how much misery there is, without seeing it, but the people of Belgium have done everything possible to make our stay as pleasant as it could be in the circumstances, and I shall always remember them with gratitude for what they did for us."
Mr. John Hornby, B.E.M., Bos'n R.N., writes "I have again changed my address, but it may be only temporarily whilst I wait for something else to turn up. My wife sent me a cutting from the 'Preston Guardian' which was really a nice compliment on your good work."
Gunner Harold Aspey writes "I have left Scotland for the South again. This is the first time I have been on this side. Jerry, as you will know, has been sending his flying bombs over lately, but it's not too bad where we are. On Thursday night we saw a doodlebug coming over, but glad to say it was hit before it could do any damage, and blew up in mid air. What a flash they make when hit! We are having to rough it at present, for nothing is laid on yet, no electric, only storm lamps and candles."
Pte. Harry Woosey writes "We have had flying bombs and the sirens every night since I came back from leave. I had a ten-mile walk on Sunday night with two of my pals. We could see that the farmers were already making ready for the hops and cultivated blackberries. There were acres and acres of each, I can see that I am going to be busy doing a spot of farming if I am still in the Army in the late summer. My kind regards to all Tarletonians in the Forces, with a special word for my brother-in-law Eric Booth, also Jimmy Latham and Teddy Farrell."