|
St John's Ambulance 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 where they were met by the Mayor and other dignitaries.
Headline in The Bacup Times August 1914
Recruitment and Raising Funds
Recruits on Bank Street including some Bacup men.
The rooms at the Mechanics Institute were used for the recruitment of local would be soldiers 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. 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 and all proceeds raised went into funding various committees.
Local Enlistments
March 1915
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.
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. James 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.
Those At Home
February 1916
Auctioning a Cow 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
Irwell Mill Shell Making
Munitions were produced in the two National Shell factories one being at Irwell Mill the other situated at Height Barn Mill and throughout the war 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."
Women Munitions Workers
Medals and Awards Pte William H Baker D.C.M
Lance Cpl C Kershaw D.C.M
Public Reception for Medal winner of 1916.
The Mayor Sir Henry Maden chatting to soldier.
|
War Is Declared 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.
Duke of Lancaster's Yeomanry Rochdale Road Bacup August 18th 1914 Travelling from their barracks in Oldham they spent the night resting in and around the area in Britannia known as Thorn Fields. The following morning a Tuesday they continued their journey through Bacup on towards Burnley.
Bacup's Soldiers
Few of these men above came back from the Great War
Soldiers Of The East Lancashire Regiment.
Photographs
I came across the photographs below whilst tidying out a filing cabinet. There were no names or details on the photographs. I believe they are Bacup/Stacksteads soldiers but cannot be sure. If you recognise anyone please email me. In the meantime I will try to identify them using the Bacup Times of 1914-1919.
IDENTIFIED
Private
Harry Ashworth Killed in action March 1916 France.
IDENTIFIED
Private Richard Pollard Killed in action August 1916 France.
Henry Amyes and family during the Great War This is the same man shown riding the cart in the Quarries and Mines page.
First World War Veterans November 11th 1968
Beer and Spirits were on sale at 1914-1918 prices to veteran members of Bacup British Legion Club on Monday 11th November 1968. To mark the 50th anniversary of the ending of the First World War. The club has seven members who are veterans of that war, and six of them were present as special guests of the club. Four of them brought their wives, and they were able to buy beer at a penny a pint and spirits at two pence a tot. Other members of the club were able to buy beer at one shilling a pint, and not surprisingly there was a packed house. The veterans of the First World War were Mr Wilf, Keeble, Mr P Herbert, Mr J R Ashworth, Mr H Williams, Mr T Clegg, and Mr Arthur Quinton, who is a former licensee of the Hare and Hounds public house at Stacksteads. Unable to be present owing to ill health was Mr Wilf Hall.
|
Postcards Home Postcards written by Arthur Bellam to his Mother 1917. Click to enlarge.
War Admiralty Telegram Feb 1916
As with many other conflicts past and present sometimes the only thing that keeps a soldier going is the letters and parcels from home. Below are some examples of letters and postcards written to family in Bacup by soldiers either back on home ground after being injured or still overseas.
Letter wrote to Bacup Times in August 1915 by Driver James Monks, of the M.T.A.S.C.C.
June 1915 Interesting Letter from Pte. Will Coupe. R.A.M.C. France
Bacup Policeman's Interesting Letter
Another letter written from France to the Bacup Times by Pte. L Dunn. Published in the Bacup Times on15th September 6 days later Pte. Dunn was killed in action.
A Complaint Letter from France.
A poem placed in the Bacup Times in December 1916 written by Lance Corporal Broadley 2nd Devonshire Regiment, formerly of the East Lancashire Regiment.
|
Letters
Home
