Monthly Archives: November 2016

Scarisbrick WW2 Roll of Honour

Scarisbrick’s roll of the Fallen of the First World War was published on Armistice Day. We now remember men and women of the Parish who gave their lives in the Second World War.

 (With thanks to Paul Charlesworth)

 

BROOKES, Wilfred

Sergeant, RAF Volunteer Reserve; died 2 June 1942

 

CHARNOCK, James

Fusilier, Lancashire Fusiliers; died 9 May 1944

 

CHARNOCK, James Francis

Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy (HMS Hermione); died 16 June 1942

 

CHURCH, James

Guardsman, Welsh Guards; died 10 September 1944

 

FAIRHURST William

Aircraftman, RAF Volunteer Reserve; died 17 November 1943

 

GINGER, Gabrielle

Died 19 March 1945

 

HAMILTON, Ian Graham

Pilot Officer, RAF Volunteer Reserve; died 9 August 1943

 

HAYTON, Evan

Private, Durham Light Infantry; died 8 June 1944

 

HENDRY, Douglas Matthew

Seaman, Merchant Navy (SS Scottish Trader); died 6 December 1941

 

JOHNSON, James

Guardsman, Irish Guards; died 17 September 1944

 

LOCKETT, Stanley

Sergeant, 240 Sqdn RAF Volunteer Reserve; died 23 December 1941

 

ROBINSON, John Ernest

Corporal, Royal Army Service Corps; died 8 March 1945

 

TAYLOR, Arthur Dawson

Captain, Army Dental Corps; died 18 December 1945

 

WELLS, James Francis

Second Lieutenant, Royal Artillery; died 1 December 1941

 

WHELDON, John Neville

Sergeant, RAF Volunteer Reserve; died 9 January 1941

 

WILSON, Donald Corbett

Driver, Royal Army Service Corps; died 7 May 1942

Scarisbrick WW1 Roll of Honour

The following is a roll call of 64 Scarisbrick men who lost their lives during the First World War and are named on the new war memorial at Scarisbrick Village Hall.

 

ABRAM, George Thomas Sumner

Corporal, Royal Engineers; died 12 February 1919

 

ACKERS, John William

Acting Bombardier, Royal Garrison Artillery; died 22 February 1917

 

ALCOCK, James

Private, King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment); died 1 October 1915

 

AUGHTON, Edmund Wadsworth

Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy; died 31 May 1916

 

BALDWIN, Abel

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 23 October 1918

Brother of:

BALDWIN, Thomas     D.C.M.

Serjeant, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry); died 8 October 1918

 

BALL, Henry

Private, Royal Welsh Fusiliers; died 1 October 1917

 

BANKS, James

Private, Machine Gun Corps; died 28 September 1918

 

BANKS, Richard Edward

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 30 April 1918

 

BIRCHALL, Thomas

Lance Corporal, Royal Warwickshire Regiment; died 19 July 1916

 

BOND, Thomas Harper

Serjeant, Lancashire Fusiliers; died 7 November 1920

 

BRADE, Isaac

Private, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment; died 11 April 1917

 

de CASTÉJA, Count Marie Emmanuel Remy  FCdeG (French Croix de Guerre)

Sergeant, 20th Chasseurs a Pied; died 10 October 1915

 

CHARLES, George

Lance Corporal, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 21 December 1917

 

CULSHAW, Joseph

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 30 September 1917

 

FAIRHURST, Albert

Sergeant, Canadian Infantry; died 26 September 1916

 

FORSHAW, John

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 28 September 1915

 

FOSTER, Robert

Private, Manchester Regiment; died 13 May 1917

 

HALEWOOD, John

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 12 August 1916

 

HARTLEY, Leonard

Private, Royal Marine Light Infantry; died 6 September 1918

 

HESKETH, John

Driver, Army Service Corps; died 1 December 1917

 

HIGHTON, Charles Luke

Gunner, Royal Field Artillery; died 26 May 1917

 

HIGNETT, Charles

Rifleman, King’s Royal Rifle Corps; died 22 November 1917

Brother of:

HIGNETT, William

Private, Connaught Rangers; died 22 January 1916

 

HURST, Richard

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 8 October 1918

 

HUYTON, Edward

Private, Royal Welsh Fusiliers; died 15 March 1917

 

HUYTON, John Royle

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 27 March 1917

 

JACKSON, Richard

Private, Royal Army Service Corps; died 11 October 1920

 

JOHNSON, James     M.M.

Gunner, Royal Field Artillery; died 1 July 1917

 

KENNEDY, Hugh

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 12 October 1916

 

LIVESLEY, Miles

Private, Army Ordnance Corps; died 29 October 1918

 

LONGTON, Christopher

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 13 August 1916

 

LYDIATE, Joseph Richard

Rifleman, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 9 April 1918

 

MARSDEN, John

Rifleman, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 20 September 1917

Brother of:

MARSDEN, Thomas

Lance Corporal, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 2 August 1917

 

MARSHALL, James Edward

Serjeant, Royal Engineers; died 21 February 1919

 

MASSAM, Thomas

Gunner, Royal Field Artillery; died 18 September 1918

 

MAYOR, Walter

Private, Coldstream Guards; died 22 August 1918

 

ORMESHER, James

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 8 April 1916

 

PILKINGTON, John Edward

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 26 December 1917

 

PRESCOTT, Charles Stanley

Private, 4th Dragoon Guards (Royal Irish); died 2 September 1917

Brother of:

PRESCOTT, Joseph James

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 11 December 1918

 

RIGBY, Edward Andrew

Rifleman, King’s Royal Rifle Corps; died 30 October 1918

 

RIGBY, John Thomas

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 28 March 1918

 

RIMMER, James

Private, Canterbury Regiment (N.Z.E.F.); died 12 October 1917

 

RIMMER, John Jeffrey

Private, Lancashire Fusiliers; died 3 May 1917

 

SAINT, Peter Thomas

Private, South Wales Borderers; died 4 November 1918

 

SCARISBRICK, John

Private, Lancashire Fusiliers; died 3 May 1917

 

SHARROCK, Evan

Private, Scots Guards; died 17 September 1917

 

SHERMAN, Thomas

Rifleman, King’s Royal Rifle Corps; died 6 March 1917

 

STAZICKER, Richard

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 12 July 1917

 

SUMNER, Walter

Private, Lancashire Fusiliers; died 31 July 1917

 

SUTHERN, Bertram

Private, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry); died 24 April 1917

 

THRELFALL, James

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 12 January 1918

 

TINSLEY, Thomas

Corporal, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 21 March 1918

 

TURNER, Arthur Sidney

Rifleman, Rifle Brigade; died 16 May 1920

 

TWIST, Robert

Rifleman, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 21 June 1918

 

USHER, Herbert

Private, Manchester Regiment; died 26 October 1917

 

VALIANT, James

Lieutenant, Royal Welsh Fusiliers; died 28 October 1917

 

WATKINSON, John

Corporal, Royal Field Artillery; died 11 August 1918

 

WESTHEAD, John

Staff Serjeant, Army Service Corps; died 21 October 1916

 

WITHINGTON, Charles Edward

Corporal, Royal Defence Corps; died 10 October 1918

 

WOODS, Sandford

Lance Corporal, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 30 October 1918

 

WRIGHT, Richard

Private, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment); died 7 November 1915

First World War memorial installed

Scarisbrick’s memorial to the Fallen of the First World War has now been installed at the Village Hall. Dedicated to the memory of sixty-four men from the parish who lost their lives during the conflict, the memorial is constructed of eye-catching polished black granite with white enamelled lettering and is set amongst natural sandstone paving.

memorial1

In addition to carrying the names of the Fallen the monument includes a frieze depicting a horse drawn plough together with poppies entwined with sheaves of corn. This highlights the link between the agricultural heritage of the parish and the sacrifice of its men, many of whom had strong connections with the land prior to the conflict. One such man was John Halewood, a former pupil of St Mark’s School who worked as a horseman at a local farm on Hurlston Green. This year marks the centenary of his death during the Somme offensive, one of the bloodiest battles of the war which eventually took the lives of over a million men. In his last letter he poignantly writes of home. In so doing he describes the nature of the sacrifice made by the Fallen, and emphasises why it should not be forgotten:

I do not know if I shall see either of these places again, but their memory only serves to help me on through these trying times, and make me all the more determined to do my duty, so that my friends and relations may never have cause to be ashamed of me”.

memorial2

The project was launched in 2014 to commemorate the centenary of the conflict. A community working group was formed and had its first meeting at the end of April. The plan was to establish a new memorial to the Fallen within the parish and to create memorial books to be held in local churches and schools. The monument at the Village Hall marks the completion of the first phase and has added about thirty names to those remembered in local churches. Many local names are represented on the monument with families still residing in Scarisbrick and surrounding areas. It is hoped that the memorial will help to provide closure for these families, given that circumstances often dictated that remains were not returned home.

memorial4_edited-1

The second phase is underway and should be completed by the end of the centenary. The books will also contain details of local men who served and returned home – a cohort that is often forgotten. It is estimated that the stories of about 200 men will be included and the working group would be pleased to hear from anyone willing to help in the compilation of the books. This website will also carry short biographies of each of the men which will link to the memorial by means of a QR code. The collection of biographies will increase as work is completed and it is hoped that names remembered on the memorial will appear soon.

A number of events have been staged over the last couple of years to raise funds for the project. Fundraising was launched with an exhibition at Scarisbrick Hall School and has since been supported by events organised by local schools, churches and groups such as the WI. There have been significant individual donations and an important financial contribution from the West Lancashire Heritage Association. Local firms have been involved in the construction of the memorial with stonemasonry being supplied by Ormsby of Scarisbrick and groundwork by Dave Finney Landscapes. The invaluable support of the management committee at Scarisbrick Village Hall is acknowledged in providing the site for the memorial. An ecumenical Service of Dedication is being planned for Armistice Day. This will include the Calling of the Names and reading of extracts regarding the lives of the Fallen by local schoolchildren.

Location of the monument at Scarisbrick Village Hall.

Location of the monument at Scarisbrick Village Hall.

Scarisbrick Parish Council has formally adopted the memorial, taking responsibility for its maintenance and insurance. The Council takes this opportunity to express its gratitude to all those who continue to contribute to the working group and who ensured that plans came to fruition.

The project aims to provide a touchstone between past and present. It affords a source of civic pride whilst reiterating the human cost of warfare, underlining the extra-ordinary sacrifice of a previous generation of Scarisbrick men.