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No: 271
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
June 14th 1945

My Dear Boys and Girls,
A very short letter this time because I have so much other matter in this NL. My great trouble now is the change of so many addresses. Will you all, please, let me know your address as soon as possible in order that my book may be brought up to date?
Also write at once to me if you want a house when you are demobbed, and say whether you want to rent it, or buy it, and if you want a garden large enough to hold two or three greenhouses.
With all my love, my prayers, and my Blessing, ever your affectionate old friend, L.N. FORSE.

HOME FRONT NEWS.
A Sapper and an ATS, both on the permanent staff at Bank Hall, were cycling late on Saturday night down Mill Brow, Bretherton, near Gregson's when they were knocked down by a passing motor. The girl died almost immediately and the sapper died on Sunday morning. The motor did not stop and the police are still looking for it.
The infant child of Mr. And Mrs. Len Waddilove, Jump's cottage, Moss Side, Mere Brow, was christened on Sunday in Tarleton Parish Church with the name of Victor. He was born on VE Day.
Robert Stazicker of Farington was buried in Tarleton Churchyard on Friday by the Vicar of St. Ambrose, Leyland. He was 66 years of age.
The rector took the chair at three Welcome and Welfare meetings last week. Monday, General Committee; Wednesday, Co-ordinating Committee; Friday, Men's Effort Committee. Next week he holds a meeting of all mothers and wives of Servicemen to consider the housing problem.

ON LEAVE:
Harry Cookson, John Webster, Frank Foulds, Tom Spencer, Jack Hodge, Bob Hull, Harold Aspey, Fred Bentham, Fred Pollard, Alf Rowland.
Nellie Baybutt, School House, Sollom, youngest daughter of James Baybutt, was married on Saturday in the Methodist Chapel, Tarleton, to Staff Sgt. Marum L. Monsees, of Selma, California, who is serving abroad in the 9th US Airforce. Reception and wedding breakfast in Chapel schoolroom. Honeymoon at Cleveleys.
Mrs. George Iddon (nee Ann Monaghan) Lock Cottages, has presented her husband with a daughter.
Marjorie Howard, Meolsgate Avenue, was married on Wednesday in Tarleton Parish Church by the rector, to James Howard, Barron's Farm. Edwin Barron gave the bridge away and Harold Aspey was Best Man. Reception and Wedding Breakfast at Garlicks. They will live at Howard's second farm down Plox Brow.
Major Penny, who has had two operations in the Southern Hospital, Liverpool, is getting on nicely.
Mrs. Tom Hodge, Hesketh Lane, is home again from the Northern Hospital, Liverpool, after having had a piece of bone taken from her shin and grafted into her arm where it has been fractured.
In the "Fleetwood Chronicle" a short paragraph is given to what happened in Fleetwood 25 years ago. This week under the date June 10th 1920 the following appears "The Rev. L.N.Forse, curate at Fleetwood Parish Church, was appointed Chaplain to the 5th Battalion, King's Own Regiment, in recognition of his war services."
The Rector, of course, had been Chaplain to the 7th and 4th Battalions, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (now the Loyals), since 1914, and remained as such until Sept. 1935, when old age compulsorily retired him.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS
AB Ken Dandy, RN, airmails from Trieste "We are still kept quite busy out here, the biggest job at the moment being mine sweeping. I have got a job as Bosun's Mate. In other words, I do all the piping. At ten o'clock at night I pipe `Pipe Down`, but they don't; at half past six the following morning it's `Wakee, wakee, rise and shine`. But they don't. The pipes they never fail to hear are `Hands to Dinner` and `Liberty men fall in`. I don't think this Trieste business has been settled yet; a lot of difficulties and anxieties have been met with which I think that the whole world should know about or otherwise they might think that the active career of the Army came to an end with the surrender of the Germans. Remember me to my brother Tom, Bill Bridge, Bob Howard, Tom Dickinson, Hubert Thompson, and all my friends at home."
Sapper Jimmy Harrison writes from B.L.A. "I have moved back now and am in a village near the Dutch border. Could you publish this please? It concerns Billy Whittle. `Do you remember that little place called OSS in Holland? At Christmas I was billeted right next door to you and never saw you at all. I bet you remember the noisy RE mob next door. At Ravensteen we had a few of your lads working with us!"
LAC Bert Barron airmails from CMF "Since landing in this country I've been residing more or less in one small area about 15 minutes run from Athens, at Phalera and Hassani, both places are on the sea front. Things are certainly getting gay here, almost a Blackpool atmosphere at present. You might ask my old pal, Frank Timperley, in the next issue of the NL whether he has lost his pen again!! My best wishes to my cousins Bob and Arthur, Harold Aspey etc."
Cpl. JH Sutton writes from CMF "I am in Austria and have been here three weeks. We are in a valley surrounded by mountains and pine forests. When we first arrived here hundreds of our own p-o-ws were released by us and they told us that the Austrians had been very good to them. Of course you heard about the trouble we had with Tito; well, they went away without much trouble. I have not met any local lads recently but I think my cousin Bob Howard, Grenadier Guards, will be in the vicinity. My kind regards to Bert Barron, Bob Howard and Jack Moss."
Sgt. Harry Forrest airmails from Palestine Command "Since I wrote last I have been promoted to full Sergeant, which took place on March 13th `45, after three years as L/Sgt. Every fortnight we have an afternoon trip with the Padre to some small village of Biblical interest, and I must say they are very enjoyable. When I return we will have a small `gripe` about some of these places. The other day I worked out my release date. It is next April. But if Python keeps up I should be home next January."
Dvr. Billy Whittle writes from BLA "Today my platoon has been given a day off, so I am spending a few spare minutes in writing to you. I think I told you in my last letter that our Company was holding a sports meeting; well, jolly old `3 Platoon` won the sports cup, six medals and lots of smaller prizes. All the prizes were given and presented by Major Stephenson, our O.C."
Cpl. Ken Ogden writes from BLA "At the present moment I am near Hanover, and like to be here for a considerable time. I have never met any lad from around home out here, although I have kept a sharp look out on the road. We had a big parade of the REME not far from Bremen, and Gen. Worrocks took the salute and the March Past. After the parade, Gen. Worrocks gave a very interesting talk for about an hour, ranging from Army life to civvie street life. It was the best and most sensible talk I have ever heard. Since war ended we have changed a lot, work has taken more or less a back seat, and we don't work half as long as we used to do."
Sapper George Barker writes from BLA "For the time being we are spending a few weeks at the noted horror camp. Norman Barron tells me that he met Noel Clark whilst I was on leave. He was travelling in a convoy when they spotted each other but convoy or no convoy that did not stop them having a chat together. Did you know that Elsie Dandy's (Green Lane) fiancé had reached home after being a p-o-w for three years. He is Harry Smith from Burscough."
Gunner Harry Harrison writes from BLA "We have left Zeven and are at Braunlage. We got here on Wednesday afternoon travelling nearly 200 miles. We came through some lovely country. I have never seen such lovely country until we came up here. We are occupation troops and are in charge of three villages. We have road blocks to guard, patrols and a few other jobs. There were supposed to be a few hundred SS troops hiding in the woods so we sent out armoured patrols and have brought a few in. We are in a big boarding house here with electric light, hot and cold water, lovely little beds etc., so we should be happy enough."
Gunner Ronnie Whiteside writes from CMF "I am enjoying life as a peacetime squaddie here in Greece. We had a bumper Victory parade with 5000 troops to march past the GOC. We have another tomorrow for our old desert leader Gen. Auchinleck. Our Regt. was highly praised for stopping Rommel's troops when they were on the way to Alexandria. Our time is spent either swimming or boating. The other day while swimming a couple of crabs took a fancy to me and my pal, and believe me it is not so nice to have a crab hanging on to your toe. I still have to find Ted Barnish in this town."