Monday, 21 May 2012

Lancashire Fusiliers' South African War Memorial


The Lancashire Fusiliers sent 4000 men to the war in South Africa. The idea of erecting a memorial to fallen did not materialise until 1903 when the plan became public. Initially the plan was to site the memorial in the Market Place next to John Peel. The statue remained in the Market Place until 1920.

This has been a frequently published picture. It shows the unveiling of the
memorial. The Robert Peel statue is behind. This will be examined in more detail elsewhere.
The wood framed building at the rear is the "Two Tubs" pub. The church is Bury Parish Church.
The War Memorial will be erected in front of this church. The monument was unveiled by the
17th Earl of Derby in March 1905.

The statue was moved to its place in Whitehead Clock Tower Gardens in 1920.
The design of the cheering soldier was considered radical at the time when the cliché was for soldiers to be in repose or mourning.

There is considerably more information at this site. Much research has gone into the detail. Please acknowledge with a link should you use any of this information. Photos used here are mine and copywrite free and may be used - a link would be appreciated.

On the actual memorial the letter U is not used. The letter V is used in its place. There are very few instances where it causes confusion.

The design of the memorial was by Sir George Frampton, R.A., P.R.B.S. (1860-1928) He liaised with Lieutenant Colonel Sir Lees Knowles M.P. about the design. A lengthy process it was said.


Sir Lees Knowles


He was  MP for West Salford.

He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 3rd Volunteer Batallion - The Lancashire Fusiliers in 1899.

When war broke out in South Africa later that year and Lees is known to have encouraged the formation of the "Volunteers Active Service Companies" to support the regular Lancashire Fusiliers Batallion in SA. In addition to this he lead the setting up of a compassionate fund to assist returning servicemen and their families.  The fund still exists today and is known as "Fusiliers Aid Society" (Since reorganisation - this now encompasses the Fusilier Regiments in the UK)
After the conclusion of the Boer War in SA he sought official recognition for the Lancashire Fusiliers

and because of his friendship with King Edward VII it was successful.
The Fusiliers were honoured with a Primrose Hackle to be worn on the left side of head dress as a Battle Honour.



 Frampton was an extremely prolific sculptor. The link below will take you to his output

For those interested in Victorian sculpture this link will take you there. Clearly the figure would be controversial - he is a proud soldier, cheering for the King, sorrowfull but proud. He is dressed in the regiments home uniform, rather than that worn by the regiment in which it fought in South Africa. The primrose yellow hackle is visible. The regiment used to march on WhitSunday locally. One of my friends joined up at the very end of the 50's. Got to admit there was a certain feel about "our" regiment and the battle honours that it won.



The Whitehead clock is just visible behind.

TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY
OF LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS,
LINE, MILITIA AND VOLUNTEER
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR
THEIR SOVEREIGN AND THEIR COUNTRY
IN SOUTH AFRICA 1900-2
THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED
BY THEIR COMRADES OF ALL
RANKS & BY FRIENDS OF
THE REGIMENT

The LIST OF THE OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISIONED OFFICERS BELOW:
THE NAMES OF OFFICERS
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN,
WHO WERE KILLED OR WHO DIED
IN SOUTH AFRICA
1900-1902
CAPTAINS
C.H.HICKS
R.B.BLUNT
(BREVET MAJOR)
G.M.STEWART
V.H.A.AWDRY
R.R.CHALLENOR
G. de C.L=MARCHANT?
D.H.PARKER
LIEUTENANTS
J.J.R.MALLOCK
E.FRASER
P.F.NEWNHAM
(INDIAN STAFF CORPS)
F.O.BARKER
COLOUR SERGEANTS
ASTLEY. J.
POTTER.R.J.
SHOEBOTHAM.A
WAINWRIGHT.J
SERGEANT-DRUMMER
BROWN.T
SERGEANTS
CASS.F
COX.J
GREGORY.J
HOLMES.J.A.
HOPE.F.
HORRIDGE.J
LIGHTFOOT.R
STEWART.J
CORPORALS
ALLEN.A.J
DARBY.J
GREENHALLS.S
HEATON.J.V
KING.T
LEIGHTON.S
LUNN.J
MASON.E
LANCE-CORPORALS
CONGANNON.J
CONNOLLY.F.T
DAVIES.A
FLETCHER.T
FOY.N
KENNEDY.W
KENYON.W
LANG.J
MITCHELL.C
MITCHELL.H
NIXON.J
PRICE.D
WALSH.E
WALSH.T
DRUMMERS
BACON.J.H
GREGG.R
HODGSON.F
SHEARON.R





PRIVATES
PRIVATES
APPLETON.J
BAINBRIDGE.E
BALLARD.W
BARLOW.R
BATTINSON.W.R
BEARD.J
BECKFORD.W
BENNETT.S
BINNS.W
BIRCH.C
BOOTH.W
BRADLEY.G
BRADY.J
BRAZIER.E
BRODERICK.J
BROWN.E
BROWN.J
BUCKLEY.A
BULLO.R
BURKE.J
BUTLER.T
BUTTERWORTH.R
CADMAN.J
CARNEY.M
CARR.J
CARTER.T
CAVANAGH.P
CHANEY.J
COALSBY.J
COOKE.B.G
COPE.B
CORRGAN.P
CROSBY.J
DALE.A
DANIELS.J
DELANEY.D
DEMPSEY.W
DEVINE.D
DODD.C.E
DOYLE.G
DOYLE.J
DYER.D
EAVES.R
ESCRITT.H
EVERETT.F
FLETCHER.J
FOLEY.J
FOTHERGILL.T
FRASER.J
FRIARS.A.H
GARNER.W
GILL.L
GOUGH.A
GREEN.G
GREEN.M
GREENHALGH.S
GREENWOOD.F
GRIMSHAW.W
HANDS.W.H
HANNON.J
HARAN.J
HARMER.J
HART.J
HARTLEY.D
HASLEM.T
HAWKER.E
HAYNES.W
HEATH.G
HENDERSON.J
HENRY.J
HEYES.J
HILL.H
HILLYARD.C
HINDLEY.R
HODGSON.F ?
HOGAN.J
HOPKINS.A
HOPKINS.R
HORNER.F.M
HOULTRAM.A
HOWELL.A
JACKSON.A


PRIVATES

PRIVATES
JACKSON.J
JACKSON.T
JAQUES.H
JOHSTON.J
KAY.A
KAY.J
KAVANAGH.T
KEARNS.J ?
KENNY.J
LANE.J
LAWSON.J
LEE.J
LEVETTT.F?
LIGHTBOWN.E
LINDLEY.E
LONGWORTH.S
LYONS.J
M’CORMICK.W
M’KEOWN.W.H
M’MANNC.F
MARCHINGTON.J
MARGERISON.J.W
MARR.P
MILLER.G
MILLER.H.E
MOORE.F
MOORES.T
MOULTON.F.E
MOSELEY.A
O’HARA.J
OPENSHAW.S
ORTON.G
PEARSON.J
PENDLEBURY.J.W
PENNOCK.J
POLLARD.J
POLLIT.T.F
POWELL.T
PRATT.J
PULLEN.F
RATCHFORD.W
RAVEN.H
REED.H.E
REEVES.C
RICE.T
RICHARDSON.G.H
RIGBY.C
ROBERTS.T
ROBINSON.E
ROGERS.R
ROTHWELL.H
ROYLE.J
RUSHMAN.W
SALISBURY.W
SINGLETON.C
SINGLETON.J
SINNETT.T
SMITH.A
SMITH.E
SMITH.G
STINSON.J
STREET.A
SWALES.W
TAYLOR.J
TAYLOR.J
TAYLOR.R
TAYLOR.S
THOMPSON.E
TIERNEY.G
TIMMINS.P
TOBIN.J
TURNER.J.T
WALKER.J
WALSH.M
WANLESS.A
WELSFORD.J
WESTHEAD.J
WHITE.J
WHITEHEAD.C
WHITEHEAD.J
WILDMAN.R
WILLIAMS.A
WILLIAMSON.J
WILSON.G
WILSON.J
WOODFORD.H.J



ANOTHER VIEW OF THIS PANEL

The soldier who modelled was
Harry Ibell, he served in the 16th Lancers.
George Frampton had his studio in London

Looking towards Manchester.
This website is not meant to supplant any of the very well, and passionate research out here on the internet. Please read their work. Much of what you read here is on the links. I have drawn it together somewhat. Please use the photos they are mine and copywrite free.

Monday, 7 May 2012

Highfield School Memorial

The school was built and opened on April 24, 1933 as Highfield Elementary School with the purpose to serve the Marton Moss area.

School foundation plaque


The original logo of the school, with the ears of corn was supposed to represent that it was an agricultural area.

The school was designed by J C Robinson, who also designed the Hawes Side Library. Ironically half of this building has been demolished in April 2012.

 He was the architect for the borough between the wars.

The original plans for the school were for two separate schools, one to accommodate 400 boys and one to accommodate 400 girls.

However, due to financial restrictions only half the scheme was completed, so the school opened as a mixed school for boys and girls.

The school was built surrounding an inner courtyard in the form of a quadrangle.

The cost of the school was £ 19,270 and it opened its doors in 1933 with 280 pupils.
The school year ran from age 11 to 14 and accommodated many pupils who had been unsuccessful at the 11+.

This information is derived from the Evening Gazette.

School Memorial
The memorial appears to be oak. The surround is also oak. It is however situated above a radiator. There is a crack the length of the plaque. The size is approximately 1.5 metres by 0.75 metres. I didn't measure it. The names are engraved in the wood. There is no evidence of a maker or carver. The plaque is in the entrance hall next to the main entrance, facing the secretary's office and quite close to the head's office too. I do not believe this memorial has ever been recorded by the UK National Inventory of War Memorials. I will contact them. This is the inscription.

PRO PATRIA

1939-1945

BAMBER JOE
DENISON ERIC
DOBSON RONALD
FISHER HORACE
GOODALL JACK
GREGSON TOM
GRADWELL WILLIAM
HOLLOWAY DONALD
HUGHES SIDNEY
KELSALL SAM
LATHAM JACK
LIVESEY JOHN R.
MYERS ROBERT
PALMER WILLIAM
REDMAN COLIN
WILSON HENRY
WILLETS REGINALD
WINTER GEORGE

20 Names in all. No other information.

"Pro Patria"  - for one's country. Perhaps a little ambiguous looking at it from 70 odd years in the future! The meaning is clear enough - that this is not a Roll of Honour.

My guess is that these brave men are on other memorials in the Blackpool area.

I am indebted to the school. The school is being rebuilt. The head assures me that this will be well looked after in the new build. I have taken photographs of the old school which will be in the datastore in due time.

I visited this school, because it was being flattened. A new school would take its place. I extensively photographed the school during my evening there. The photos are published on my datastore page here.

I met a couple of friends of mine and many students that night!