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No:265
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
May 3rd 1945

My dear Boys and Girls,
While I was in London last week I chose, and bought, three really fine Medals for presentation to the first Tarleton lad in Berlin with a News Letter on him, and also for the first Tarleton Sailor to anchor in the Keil Canal, and the first Tarleton R.A.F. lad to take up his work on a recognised Berlin Aerodrome. The medals will be suitably inscribed, with the name of the winner and what they have been given for. Toye's of London, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham, one of the biggest firms in England doing this class of work, are supplying the medal. I managed to run to earth a few pre-war solid silver Hall-marked medals which they had in stock. They are a little bigger than a five shilling piece, and quite heavy. The ribbon will be red, white and blue.
In case you should have lost the certificate I sent you some time ago, I am reproducing it in this NL. But remember, it must be signed by an Officer, and must state the date and the time. There may easily be several claimants, and so the time will be necessary. Anyhow it will be well worth trying for, and will certainly be an interesting souvenir to keep all your life.
Well, who will be the winners? With my love, my blessing, and all my prayers, ever your friend,L.N.FORSE.

HOME FRONT NEWS
The big news of the week is the Homecoming of Captain Fred Croft, eldest son of Dr. and Mrs. Croft, who was taken p-o-w in North Africa and was released by the Americans in their surge through Germany. Flags were out in Hesketh Lane for the occasion. He came home last Wednesday.
Lt. George Wilson (Bretherton, brother of Twilly) has also arrived home after being a p-o-w for a few months. Just after Christmas he was officially reported 'killed in action', and a memorial Service for him was held in Bretherton Parish Church; then he was reported p-o-w; and now he, too, has been released by the Americans and is home again in Bretherton.
The late frost last week did a lot of damage to the early potatoes.
The first lot of tomatoes from this year's crop in Tarleton was sent to the market last week.
PLEASE NOTE: Those coming on leave from abroad should be sure and see they ask the R.T.O. at Euxton for a Preston train. Many lads from this district have been sent by a train, first and last stop Manchester, where they arrive in the early hours of the morning and cannot get on for some hours. The trouble is that Southern R.T.Os think that Manchester is only a stone's throw from Preston and that lads can easily walk the distance. Insist upon getting a Preston train and wire the rector the time of arrival and he will meet the train with his car whatever the time may be.
ON LEAVE: Hubert Tindsley; Billy Harrison (Kearsley Avenue, brother of Jimmy) The two Sutton Boys from Bretherton; John Sutton; Jack Hodge; John Webster; Harold Rawlinson (Bretherton); Maurice Haskell.

In case the original certificate sent out has been lost the rector encloses a copy which must be signed, as stated thereon, before the sender is eligible for a medal.

Rector's Weekly News Letter
BERLIN ISSUE

I certify that ...........................has shown me in Berlin (Keil, Recognised German aerodrome), a copy of the Tarleton Rector's News Letter dated................Time............
This Certificate must be signed by a Chaplain or other Officer, who is asked kindly to give his Unit and Rank.

For the Navy the ship must be anchored in the Keil Canal, and for the R.A.F. the aeroplane must be parked on a recognised aerodrome inside Germany. The aerodrome nearest to Berlin wins the medal.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS
Fus. Ronnie Iddon (Hesketh Lane) airmails from India "So far I have not met anyone from Tarleton here, but I have met a lad from Longton named Gerry Squires who lives at the Red Lion Hotel. He knows my dad, so we had a nice talk about the village. He also knows quite a number of lads from Tarleton, so I give him my NL to read. This country is quite a big difference from England. It is very nice and warm, but they tell me it gets very hot indeed, but it is warm enough for me now. Remember me to my brother Harry, also Fred Bentham (Chunky), Fred Burns, Harold Pilkington, and all the others in the Forces both abroad and at home."
E.R.N. Dick Burns, airmails from his ship "I don't think it will be long now before it is all over with Jerry, and I won't be sorry, as I am more than ready for seeing the shores of good old U.K. once again. Not that the war in Europe will make much difference to my stay out here, for I have to complete my Commission, which I think will be a matter of about six months more. Will you please thank the various concerns which have sent money to my family, as I have now received the same. You don't seem to have had many suggestions for improvements to the NL, and I can't seem to find any myself. My kind regards to my brothers Jim (B.L.A.) Tom (C.M.F.), George (B.L.A.) and also to Fred who I believe is expecting to go overseas, if not there already, and to George West, Harry Forrest and Noel Butcher, my brothers-in-law, and to Hugh, Bert and Mick Melling."
C.S.M. Jimmy Leacy C.M.P. writes "No matter how soon the end in the West comes, it won't come too soon. Many will still be in the Far East, some serving, others prisoners-of-war. I hope that although celebration at the end of the war with Germany is justified, these will not be forgotten. The weekly items in the NL of the sale of property in Tarleton at fancy prices fills me with qualms. The chances of a soldier who left home nearly six years ago in July has of ever having a home of his own seems as remote as snow in July. I wonder if it occurs to some people that those in the Services do not exactly make a pile whilst serving. Tell Harry Cookson I received his letter and photo, and pass on my best wishes to all in the Forces."
Gunner Harry Harrison writes "In future I will make a great effort to write more frequently. There's no need to tell you how much I enjoyed being home and to see Tarleton looking at its best. The weather was none too great but I did manage to get around. My best wishes to my two brothers-in-law Dick and Billy (B.L.A.) my cousins, and also all Tarletonians especially John Ball."
L/Cpl. Ken Robshaw writes from India "I am sending you another News Letter: Today is Easter Saturday. We have no holiday but I shall try to attend Church tomorrow. It will have to be at night, because I have to work on Sunday mornings. I am keeping very well and am having stacks of letters, also plenty of News Letters from you. Please give my regards to all the lads. Keep smiling."
L/Sgt. Tom Tindsley writes from B.L.A. "We are very busy these days for we never seem to be in one place for more than a few hours before we have to pack everything up and continue the chase of a retreating enemy. You will, no doubt, have read in the papers, or heard on the B.B.C., all about the advance which our Unit made along the roads east of the Rhine, and so have been able to gather some idea of what we have been doing. I was very interested in the account in the NL of the award to Fred Bentham. I, too, have been awarded the Commander-in-Chief's Certificate. The date of the award was Jan 5th. I would like to offer my congratulations to Fred Bentham."
Rfm. Jimmy Monaghan writes "The barracks here are not so had, the grub is good and the training tough. We are out on night stunts tonight, up in the hills, and we shall be out all night until the early hours of the morning. I have just got the Easter NL, it followed me from Ireland, so I thought that I would just drop you a line to let you know my change of address as I don't want to miss the NL."
Dvr. Fred Bentham writes from B.L.A. "I won the Certificate from Field Marshal Montgomery in Nov. '44 but knew nothing about it until two weeks ago when it was presented to me. The story you have is not far wrong, but you can understand that I cannot give full details. There were more Jerry shells flying about than was healthy but the lads, there were seventy of them, were without communications, and someone had to get through. Please remember me, through the NL to Ronnie Iddon (Chunky), Jimmy and Billy Harrison, David Hanson, and all the rest of the lads and lasses from Tarleton."
Pte. George Farrington writes "I see from the NL that there is a John Smith, late of Sollom, stationed in Edinburgh. Could you let me know his address as I would like to call on him. At present we are doing a bit of training, getting fit, as you might call it. Will you please convey, through the NL, my best wishes to all in H.M.Forces, and here's hoping we are all back in dear old Tarleton very soon - and for good."