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No: 266
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
May 10th 1945

My dear Boys and Girls,
You will, I know, expect me to address the first part of this letter to those of our lads who have, for so long, borne the burden and dangers of the front line of battle in foreign countries. And amongst these I include those who are fighting so well in Burma. I want to say, on behalf of the whole village, a very big and a very genuine "THANK YOU."
We all realise that but for the bravery and the tenacity and loyalty of our lads we could never have had the great victories of the past few weeks. We are very proud of them and hope, very soon to be able to show them our gratitude in a practical way. Nevertheless those at the front would be the first to acknowledge that they were largely dependent for their successes upon the hard and often very monotonous work of those behind the lines. So really you all have made your contributions to the recent tremendous victories.
Next week I am hoping to send you the biggest bumper double number yet issued, and one that you will all like to keep as a souvenir of the completion of your task in Europe.
May God bless you all and keep you safe, with all my prayers and my love, ever your very proud friend and companion, L.N.FORSE.

HOME FRONT NEWS
Edie Hodson, Church Road, was married on Saturday in the Methodist Chapel to Dvr. James Harrison, of Huyton, Liverpool, who has been five years abroad, and is now going back to S.A.E.F. Reception and Wedding Breakfast at Garlicks, honeymoon at Liverpool.
Irene Jaggers, Town Lane, Much Hoole, was married last Wed. at Hoole Parish Church, to John Calvert Redmayne, a Grimsargh farmer.
Croston Church Schools won the West Lancashire Schools Football challenge Cup last Monday, beating Walmer Bridge, the runners up, by 4 goals to 3.
Tarleton N.F.S. went to Preston last Sunday to a special function, taking with them some of their girl members. Four girls got mixed up with a contingent from Samlesbury, and found themselves being taken back there in the hired bus from that village. They had to walk back from Samlesbury to Tarleton.
The rector held a further meeting of the Welcome and Welfare co-ordinating Committee last Tuesday at the rectory. Representatives came from Much and Little Hoole, Bretherton, Croston, Rufford, Banks, Holmes, Hesketh Bank and Tarleton. Its purpose is to see that no lad is missed out and that all parishes give the lads more or less the same amount of money as a small payment of our debt to them.
The Daily Mirror for last Tuesday came out with quite a long paragraph on the striking of the `Berlin Medal`, offered by the rector.
Raymond Couoe, B.Sc., who throughout the war has been on essential war work as a research chemist, was married at Nottingham on Saturday to Miss Hilda Bridge of Nottingham.
Mr. Harry Bridge, Jubilee Houses, Hesketh Lane, died last week and was buried away. He was 79 years of age.
The 1998 Tarleton Flight A.T.C. are being attached for training purposes to the Southport Squadron and will be taken once a week to Southport and back in a Special Ribble bus. The rest of their training will be done in Tarleton.
The Parish Church Tea Party has been fixed for Sat. June 23rd. Silcocks are coming, and there will be Morris Dancers and the Maypole.
The dance given by Mr. and Mrs. Sergeant and their Staff at the Café on behalf of the Welcome and Welfare Fund realised the substantial sum of £60.
So far no news has come to hand concerning Clifford Hambilton, Herbert Nutter and Aubrey Smith, prisoners-of-war, whose camps have already been over-run. On the other hand Fred Parr, of Bretherton, has already got back to England.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS
Gunner Arthur Harrison writes from B.L.A. "The boys here have been very busy; the only trouble is that they have not had any mail for a few weeks so let's hope they get some tonight as I am looking forward to having a few myself. Please give my best wishes to my sister Vera, also Mick Forshaw, whom I was glad to see when we were both home on leave together, also Jack Robinson, Harold Aspey, and John Ball whom I was also very glad to see when on leave. I pray that we may all very soon be home for good."
Dvr. Harry Price, now stationed in Ireland after several years` foreign service writes "I am happy to tell you that I am being married to Miss Margaret Tindsley on May 17th and I'm just hoping that my old pal Herbert Nutter will be home to be best man. What a grand re-union it would be !!! I am now doing quite a few hundred miles per week on my motor cycle and the Irish scenery to my mind is very beautiful. I am hoping to be home the day previous to my wedding so, if I don't show up at the Rectory to see you, please forgive me as we are leaving immediately after the wedding for our honeymoon in Scotland."
WRN Muriel Hind writes, "We have quite a lot of off duty, but there always seems so much to do in it; not the entertainment line, but educationally. We have a series of Educational films and a lecture to attend two afternoons a week. Work is very slack here, consequently we are able to attend these things. Tomorrow we are having a "Brains Trust" and discussing the best way of spending the proposed £5000 for the expected return of 400 men and women in Lancs. The Commander would like to have our ideas on the subject, so it should be rather interesting. I have not heard from Eric for quite a time, so I was much relieved to read the little passage in the NL from him."
L/Cpl. Ken Robshaw writes from India Command "I am receiving the NLs now in 8 days, which I think is very good going. I am getting plenty of mail from home but have not heard from my brother up to the time of going to Press. Things are much the same as usual in these parts and there are not many changes taking place. I am still kept very busy in the Office. Please give my kind regards to all in the Forces, not forgetting Jack Walsh, Tom Rigby, Harry Price, and Bert Barron of Doctor's Lane, Sollom."
Mrs. W.K.Hynam (nee Doris Molyneux, then Sgt. Molyneux of the W.A.A.Fs) writes "After exactly four years in the W.A.A.F. I have managed to `retire` and am living with my husband at the above address which is near his station. As you will remember my husband is a Flight-Lieutenant in the R.A.F., so I shall still be in touch with the Air Force. I do not know whether I shall still be eligible to receive the NL but if possible I should very much like to do so." (Yes, Doris, the NL is always sent to all discharged sailors, soldiers and airmen and their counterparts in the female line. You will continue to receive it until it ceases publication.)
L/Cpl. David Clark of St Annes-on-Sea sends a cutting about the NL from the St. Annes' Gazette and writes "Thanks for the NLs. They are coming through wonderfully well these days, in fact I am receiving them in four days instead of the usual four weeks. My family in St. Annes send me the local paper and I was very pleased to see an account of your NL for, as you say, `A link with home is the finest tonic we could possibly have, especially for those in distant lands.` I expect you will be thinking that the war situation just now is very much like it was in 1918, when you were in the `Loyals` (Preston Pals) with my father in the last war. The best of health and happiness to all readers of the NL not forgetting, of course, its editor." (L/Cpl. David Clark is in the Royal Corps of Signals, and is in M.E.F.)
LAC Freddy Coupe writes from the West Indies "Last week I did a little climbing; it was hard going up but wasn't too bad coming down. In all we walked twelve miles. We had only one bit of excitement; we found a Mapapii snake, the most deadly snake in Trinidad. It was only a young one, approximately four feet long. It was quite fat. These snakes grow to ten feet long. We killed it and took some snaps of it. We went on the beach again this week and had quite a good day's swimming."
Mr. John Hornby, B.E.M. Bos'n R.N. writes from his ship "I am going over to Germany in the next few days to help control the armed forces of the enemy when our fighting boys have finished with them. I may add that any Tarleton boy who may wish to qualify for the 'Sailing into Kiel Canal Medal' will have to buck up because I'm nearly there and have my certificate in my pocket. I trust that any Tarleton boy who may be in the area for the next three or four months will try to contact me in Party 1755, as I shall be all over the place around Kiel. Some of us, including myself, have had training to bring Germans to realise that war must not be."
Dvr. Billy Whittle writes from B.L.A. and heads his letter 'Somewhere over the Rhine', I suppose that by now you will be thinking about welcoming all the lads home, and it's not before time, is it?"