Bacup has its share of war veterans even so far back as the battle of Waterloo. In June 1859 the 4th company of the 1st Battalion of the Lancashire Rifle Volunteers was formed by Robert Munn later to be Captain Munntheir headquarters was at the Commercial Inn at Stacksteads. Rumours were rife at this time of an invasion of England by France and Tennyson's well known song "Riflemen form" aroused the military ardour of men across the country including the Rossendale Valley.During the Zulu war of 1879 it was reported in the Bacup Times that a former landlord of the Commercial Inn at Stacksteads called by his friends Boots this well liked popular man had joined the brave ranks of the 24^th Foot Regiment and had fallen for his country at Rorkes Drift, Isandhlwana. For over six months the locals believed William had found a soldier’s grave. Then another report appeared in the August edition stating that far from being killed he was actually alive and well and living in the Irish barracks in Mullingar. August 4th 1914, saw Britain declare war on Germany Britain had 247,432 regular troops on 7th August, 1914, Lord Kitchener, the war minister, immediately began a recruiting campaign by calling for men aged between 19 and 30 to join the British Army. Bacup like many other small towns and villages rallied to the call never failing over the following four and half years in duty or patriotism. And at home the nurses of the St Johns ambulance worked tirelessly to care and comfort the wounded soldiers who came to recover at Fernhill Military Hospital. While standing in the pouring rain children wept as they remmebered thier fathers at the opening of the Bacup cenotaph. Shortly after 11.30 on September 3rd 1939 the words This Country Is At War With Germany were heard by men women and children and once again our memfolk went off to war .