"This Country is at War with Germany"
This being the speech the nation heard shortly after 11.20am on the morning of the 3rd
September 1939. Blackout orders came in and one of the first signs that Bacup was at war
was painters began painting the kerbstones so that they may show through the darkness
that the blackout would cause. At 9-10pm on the 14th May 1940 an appeal was made to
British subjects aged 17-65 to register at Police Stations to form a Local Defence Volunteer
Force ( later to be known as the Home Guard ) within a few days 132 people had registered
at Bacup Central Police Station many more having been thanked but politely refused due to
them being too old or too young. Unfortunately though there was an acute shortage of
weapons, and for quite a while the Home Guard had to practice drill with wooden sticks.
The Government had little in the way of equipment for these new service corps and with this
in mind another appeal was made on the 15th June asking for any persons to surrender
shot-guns and such to their local Police Stations. Only one was surrendered to Bacup
Central Police Station.
During the war the Baths became the headquarters of the Civil Defence. The big pool was boarded over
so that the room could act as a decontamination and first aid area. Bacup Home Guard were based in
Holmes Mill the home guard used reject bullets to practice with given to them by the Munitions workers of
Lumb Hall Engineering also based in Holmes Mill. Each division of the Home Guard was responsible for
guarding the roads into Bacup. A division guarded Newkin and Weir B company was responsible for
Sharneyford, C company Britannia and D company Stacksteads.
The blackout in Britain began on 1st September 1939 two days before the outbreak of World War 2.
The regulations that accompanied the blackout were very strict being reported for showing a chink of
light would invariably lead to ones appearance on court followed by a hefty fine, and like many other
court cases your name and offense would appear in the Bacup Times under the heading “
Unscreened Lights”. The following are just a few examples from the Bacup Times edition of Saturday
June 29th 1940.
Ivor Morris aged 42 of 58 Booth Road, Stacksteads. It was stated by P.C Wilkin that at 11.30pm on
the 23rd instance he saw a light shining from the bathroom window of the above address. When
informed of the offence defendant said he was sorry: he must have left the bathroom door open. He
would see that it did not occur again. The defendant was charged 10/-. Percy Atkinson 35 of 21,
Heathbourne Road, Stacksteads sent a letter of apology to the bench he was fined 10/-. Walter Abbott
23 of 477 Newchurch Road, Stacksteads was reported by P.C Martin or having a light showing at the address, he told the officer he had no
blackout for the window and seldom had the light on. He was fined 10/-. By May 1940 three types of Air Raid Shelters had been built and
prepared for the residents of Bacup and Stacksteads. These consisted of Semi Sunk shelters, Basement Shelters and Trench Shelters.
During the war people were encouraged to buy War Savings Certificates to raise money for the War
effort. War Weapons week in December of 1941 raised £242.000. Warships Week in 1942 raised
£136,000. with Wings for Victory week 5th June 12th June 1943 raising £220.340. Warship week
resulted in the adoption of H.M.S Amaranthus, a Flower Class Corvette one of 300 built for medium
distance convoy escorts. Built by Flemming and Ferguson in 1940. She was sold on 1946 and
scrapped in Hong Kong in 1956. You can read more details of H.M.S.Amaranthus and the part she
played in the war HERE including a crew list.
Many of our Bacupian and Stacksteads ancestors have taken part in the various theaters of
war, such as The 1815 Battle of Waterloo, The Crimean War of 1853 and the Boer War of 1901
and more recently the Great War of 1914 and the Second World War. Throughout these times
the people left at home, mothers, fathers sons daughters and wives have all done thier best to
keep the home fires burning.
On August 4th 1914, Britain declared war on Germany, Britain had 247,432 regular troops at
this time. Lord Kitchener, the war minister, immediately began a recruiting campaign by calling
for men aged between 19 and 30 to join the British Army. As the local summer holidays came
to a close in August 1914 Members of the local branch of St John's Ambulance service were
ordered to report to London along with other volunteers.The Bacup contingent being the first
batch of Sick Berth Reservists to report for duty. As news spread in Bacup that they were being
called up groups of people gathered in the streets and at the drill hall in King Street, out of 42 men entitled to be called up 41 reported to the
drill hall on King Street. On the 18th August the towns streets were filled with excited men, women and children as a troop of the Duke of
Lancaster's Yeomanry passed through the town on thier way from Oldham to Burnley. No doubt such a site would have stirred some of the
younger men into signing up for King and Country. The rooms at the Mechanics Institute were used for the recruitment of local would be
soldiers and during the first two weeks of recruitment it was reported that 100 men had enlisted into various branches of the service these
included Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry and Medical Corps.
The enlistments for March 1915 were:
J Wilkinson - Bleacher - Stacksteads - Howitzer Brigade, R. V Spedding - Dye Worker - Bacup - Howitzer
Brigade.,Thomas . H. Daley - Labourer - Bacup- Cold Stream Guards. Joseph O'Connor - Reedmaker - Bacup -
East Lancs Reg., James Illingworth - Collier - Bacup - Liverpool Reg.
And in May 1915 :
William Ashness - Weaver - Devonshire Reg., Frank Stansfield - Piecer - Gordon Highlanders., Samuel Law -
Carter - C.P.R.F.A. Bacup.Joseph Halstead - Quarryman - C.P.R.F.A. Bacup., Pat Murphy - Quarryman
C.P.R.F.A. Bacup., Thomas Hanley - Labourer - Lancs Fusiliers Bacup., J.T.Pledger - Quarryman - C.P.R.F.A.
Bacup., William Whitestone - Labourer - E.L.Regt Bacup., ames B Hayhurst - Navvy - 16th Middlesex Reg
Bacup., Thomas Daniell - Navvy - 16th Middlesex Regt Bacup., William Naylor - Tackler - M.M Gun Section
Bacup.Charles Ashworth - Labourer - 18th Middlesex Regt. Bacup.,John Milner - Navvy 18th Middlesex Regt,
Bacup.
How many of the men listed above came back to thier homes well and able bodied is not known. Altogether out
of 22,000 inhabitants 5,000 joined the armed service to fight The Great War *436 of those died for their country
many others returned home permanently disabled.
Bacup supported the war by holding various flag days, charitable concerts, bazaars, all proceeds
raised went into funding various committees. In 1916 a auction took place outside the Mechanics
to raise funds for The Red Cross Society. Organised by the farmers of Bacup, the auction and
jumble sale raised £390.00 From all nooks and crannies of Bacup many articles had been
unearthed and put up for auction. Some of the most notable were: A shorthorn Heifer by Sir
Henry Maden, a bull calf by Mr Thomas Harrison, two
donkeys by councillor Seed and a pig by Mr Winder
of Stacksteads.
Munitions were produced in the two National Shell
factories one being at Irwell Mill where 4.5inch shells
were produced. The other situated at Height Barn Mill
throughout the war they turned out
a steady supply of munitions without suffering any causalities, such as
happened in other factories in other towns and cities. Bombs were dropped in
other parts of Rossendale from a Zeppelin but Bacup escaped any attacks
from the air however it is documented in the Police Jubilee handbook that on
25th September 1916 -"A hostile airship passed over the borough during the
night, but no bombs were dropped”.
Armistice Signed
Rossendale Joy & Thanksgiving
The Valley Gay With Bunting
Happy Scenes At Bacup
This was the headline in the Bacup Times on November 16th 1918, the armistice with Germany had been signed at 5’oclock the previous
Monday 11th November with hostilities ceasing at 11 am. In Bacup by eleven am that morning people were rushing into the streets shouting out
with joy at the news. Official notification was announced by the hooting of several mill whistles, with official notice posted in the Post Office
window on Burnley Road. People rushed out of the mills and factories and other establishments, the youngsters waved flags, dancing and
singing whilst the businessmen and women along with their elders decorated the streets with bunting and trophies. At mid-day the tram
services ended, and yet people still poured into the town to celebrate.The Irwell Springs Band, led by Walter Nuttall, paraded from the Park
Hotel to the centre of town playing as they marched “The Glorious Empire” struggling to make their way up Market Brow to the Court House
due to the mass of people congregated there. Watching fireworks that had been let off from the Court House window, where the Mayor and
other Town Council members appeared at the windows to speak to the waiting crowds. Members of Christ Choir hearing the news of the
armistice proceeded to the tower of the church and there sang various hymns, while the bells of St Saviours rang out joyfully.
Two Years After The War
The pilot of a twin engine De Havilland fighter plane died when his plane crashed and burst into flames on the hillside above Rakehead in
December 1947. The plane on hitting the ground firstly struck a wall then exploded quickly burning itself out it left a crater and a large debris
field. Police and firemen searching the field later found the pay book of the pilot; Warrant Officer Ronald Feasby aged 29. Pieces of his RAF
uniform and field service cap were also found at the scene along with some human remains. The aircraft was a
one seater from 64 Squadron, R.A.F Station, Linton-on-Ouse , near York and was on instrument flying practice.
An altimeter dial face found in the wreckage showed 1,000 feet.
On the day of the accident the weather was described as fearful, the strong winds blowing the drizzling rain into
the face of those on scene. The alarm having been raised about 3-15pm. The plane had been spotted flying
low over Waterfoot and Stacksteads. One eye witness at the time a Mr H Rawlinson of 41 Booth Road, that he
had seen the plane roaring above travelling across the valley it was only about 100 feet above the rooftops. It
then lifted above the valley when it seemed to dive almost straight down exploding with a tremendous bang.
Other witness said that smoke was coming from the plane before the crash.
Many of our Bacupian and Stacksteads ancestors have taken part in the various theaters of
war, such as The 1815 Battle of Waterloo, The Crimean War of 1853 and the Boer War of 1901
and more recently the Great War of 1914 and the Second World War. Throughout these times
the people left at home, mothers, fathers sons daughters and wives have all done thier best to
keep the home fires burning.
On August 4th 1914, Britain declared war on Germany, Britain had 247,432 regular troops at
this time. Lord Kitchener, the war minister, immediately began a recruiting campaign by calling
for men aged between 19 and 30 to join the British Army. As the local summer holidays came
to a close in August 1914 Members of the local branch of St John's Ambulance service were
ordered to report to London along with other volunteers.The Bacup contingent being the first
batch of Sick Berth Reservists to report for duty. As news spread in Bacup that they were being
called up groups of people gathered in the streets and at the drill hall in King Street, out of 42 men entitled to be called up 41 reported to the
drill hall on King Street. On the 18th August the towns streets were filled with excited men, women and children as a troop of the Duke of
Lancaster's Yeomanry passed through the town on thier way from Oldham to Burnley. No doubt such a site would have stirred some of the
younger men into signing up for King and Country. The rooms at the Mechanics Institute were used for the recruitment of local would be
soldiers and during the first two weeks of recruitment it was reported that 100 men had enlisted into various branches of the service these
included Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry and Medical Corps.
The enlistments for March 1915 were:
J Wilkinson - Bleacher - Stacksteads - Howitzer Brigade, R. V Spedding - Dye Worker - Bacup - Howitzer
Brigade.,Thomas . H. Daley - Labourer - Bacup- Cold Stream Guards. Joseph O'Connor - Reedmaker - Bacup -
East Lancs Reg., James Illingworth - Collier - Bacup - Liverpool Reg.
And in May 1915 :
William Ashness - Weaver - Devonshire Reg., Frank Stansfield - Piecer - Gordon Highlanders., Samuel Law -
Carter - C.P.R.F.A. Bacup.Joseph Halstead - Quarryman - C.P.R.F.A. Bacup., Pat Murphy - Quarryman
C.P.R.F.A. Bacup., Thomas Hanley - Labourer - Lancs Fusiliers Bacup., J.T.Pledger - Quarryman - C.P.R.F.A.
Bacup., William Whitestone - Labourer - E.L.Regt Bacup., ames B Hayhurst - Navvy - 16th Middlesex Reg
Bacup., Thomas Daniell - Navvy - 16th Middlesex Regt Bacup., William Naylor - Tackler - M.M Gun Section
Bacup.Charles Ashworth - Labourer - 18th Middlesex Regt. Bacup.,John Milner - Navvy 18th Middlesex Regt,
Bacup.
How many of the men listed above came back to thier homes well and able bodied is not known. Altogether out
of 22,000 inhabitants 5,000 joined the armed service to fight The Great War *436 of those died for their country
many others returned home permanently disabled.
Bacup supported the war by holding various flag days, charitable concerts, bazaars, all proceeds
raised went into funding various committees. In 1916 a auction took place outside the Mechanics
to raise funds for The Red Cross Society. Organised by the farmers of Bacup, the auction and
jumble sale raised £390.00 From all nooks and crannies of Bacup many articles had been
unearthed and put up for auction. Some of the most notable were: A shorthorn Heifer by Sir
Henry Maden, a bull calf by Mr Thomas Harrison, two
donkeys by councillor Seed and a pig by Mr Winder
of Stacksteads.
Munitions were produced in the two National Shell
factories one being at Irwell Mill where 4.5inch shells
were produced. The other situated at Height Barn Mill
throughout the war they turned out
a steady supply of munitions without suffering any causalities, such as
happened in other factories in other towns and cities. Bombs were dropped in
other parts of Rossendale from a Zeppelin but Bacup escaped any attacks
from the air however it is documented in the Police Jubilee handbook that on
25th September 1916 -"A hostile airship passed over the borough during the
night, but no bombs were dropped”.
Armistice Signed
Rossendale Joy & Thanksgiving
The Valley Gay With Bunting
Happy Scenes At Bacup
This was the headline in the Bacup Times on November 16th 1918, the armistice with Germany had been signed at 5’oclock the previous
Monday 11th November with hostilities ceasing at 11 am. In Bacup by eleven am that morning people were rushing into the streets shouting out
with joy at the news. Official notification was announced by the hooting of several mill whistles, with official notice posted in the Post Office
window on Burnley Road. People rushed out of the mills and factories and other establishments, the youngsters waved flags, dancing and
singing whilst the businessmen and women along with their elders decorated the streets with bunting and trophies. At mid-day the tram
services ended, and yet people still poured into the town to celebrate.The Irwell Springs Band, led by Walter Nuttall, paraded from the Park
Hotel to the centre of town playing as they marched “The Glorious Empire” struggling to make their way up Market Brow to the Court House
due to the mass of people congregated there. Watching fireworks that had been let off from the Court House window, where the Mayor and
other Town Council members appeared at the windows to speak to the waiting crowds. Members of Christ Choir hearing the news of the
armistice proceeded to the tower of the church and there sang various hymns, while the bells of St Saviours rang out joyfully.
