Bolton War Memorial

Bolton War Memorial

Bolton War memorial is situated in Victoria square at the foot of the town hall steps. There are no names engraved on the memorial. The memorial commemorates the people of Bolton lost during the First World War, and was unveiled on July 4th 1928 by the then Earl of Derby. Controversy dogged this memorial and even later the images of Walter Marsden remain powerful and awesome.

There is something very imposing about the monument. Whether it is because of the stonework or the bronze statues not sure. Certainly a one off. It has been suggested that the statues did not represent quite what was intended. 

His representations are disturbing.

Further inscriptions were added after the Second World War, and the bronze figures by Walter Marsden were added in 1933.These are the pictures.

Distant shot. From the front. The bronze figures were not installed until 1932.
More information is here. This monument was clearly controversial at the time.

Taken from the front. Restraining the warrior.

The town hall is seen in the picture.
This was taken from the front of the monument.

“Peace Restraining War”Peace restraining the warrior
Walter Marsden is seen right at the bottom of the casting.

“Peace seeing the Horrors of War”Peace raising her hands at seeing the warrior now dead.

“Peace seeing the Horrors of War”

“Peace Restraining War”

Fairly new shops. This is taken from the steps of the town hall. The inscription reads:

IN VNDYING MEMORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF BOLTON WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919

The cross in the centre is bronze overlaid with the sword of a crusader.
The building behind is the Town Hall. This view is opposite of the one above.The inscription reads:

OUR BROTHERS DIED TO WIN A BETTER WORLD OUR PART MUST BE TO STRIVE FOR TRUTH GOODWILL AND PEACE THAT THEIR SELF-SACRIFICE BE NOT IN VAIN

Chipping, Leagram, Little Bowland and Thornley Memorial

Visited on Sunday. A beautiful little memorial garden set in a corner by the main road. Chipping is a place where people go on a Sunday. The memorial is the Preston side of Chipping. Chipping is the main village the other places on the memorial are really just collections of cottages. It is set under the shoulders of the southern end of the Bowland Fells. In particular Parlick, Wolf Fell and Fairsnape. Visited often, in all weather conditions - there is always someone there running, hang-gliding, walking. A closish friend of mine uses Parlick as his training ground. A most beautiful part of the north-west.
Unfortunately the weather has taken its toll on the 1939-1945 inscription and has now rendered it illegible. I will research and try to find out the names. A revisit is called for. However the photos. There is a fascinating local history page here - well worth a visit!
(Chipping History contacted me and gave me the names of the 4 fallen men for WW2. They have a publication giving detailed information of the fallen for £3 + P & P. Further information is available on the website above.

The memorial from the opposite side of the road.
To the right is Preston. To the left is the main village of Chipping.

"THIS WALL WAS ERECTED BY
THE EX-SERVICE MEN OF
THE 1939-1945 WAR"

From just inside the garden the inscription around cross reads:
"THEIR NAME SHALL ENDURETH FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION"

Edward Parkinson
Major Rhodes
Richard Moon
William Coupe
Wilfred Blezard

John Bamber
Rowland Seed
John Wm Nuttall
John Thomas Eccles
Jas. Irving Walmsley
John Bleasdale

This is the side that has the names of the fallen from the 1939-1945 war. However the weathering is so bad the names are indistinguishable. More research and a second trip in more favourable light could reveal them. An Addition:
The names of the men inscribed are.
Fred Ellison,
Ernest Kenyon,
Harry Crane,
John James Dobson
This information is directly from "Chipping History.

Towards Chipping village. The road to the right will take you to the fells (eventually!)

A very interesting and much loved memorial. Needs care and attention though, if the names are going to be seen. Maybe a plaque on the wall below the second photograph. I will return!

More information can be found here This site has more information about memorials

Freckleton Air Crash 1944

The link to the Freckleton war memorial is here. This is the "other" Freckleton memorial. It is behind the parish church, not hidden, not secret either, just away from casual eyes. A grief shared by a village, for a thing that should not have happened. Its poignancy is enhanced by the fact that it also the grave too. A rarity among memorials - possibly the only one I have seen of this type. There is a BBC report here. 
I will post pictures of the playground when I have the opportunity to visit again.

The pictures and the names are below. Please use.

The memorial. It is against the back wall of the churchyard.

Impeccably kept,. There are three seats around the outside.

There are many freshly cut flowers and remembrances.

The left hand side

TEACHERS

JENNIE HALL

LOUISA L HULME

SCHOLARS

HOWARD ALLANSON

MARTIN P. ALSTON

EDNA R. ASKEW

SYLVIA BICKERSTAFFE

KENNETH BOOCOCK

JEAN BUTCHER

DAVID CARR

MAUREEN D. CLARKE

JOHN COX

SONIA M. DAGGER

PETER DANSON

JOHN H. FOSTER

JUDITH M. GARNER

JOHN HARDMAN

ANNIE L. HERRINGTON

BERYL HOGARTH

WILLIAM H. IDDON

E. M. KATHLEEN ISLES

VERA C. JONES

GEORGINA LONSDALE

T. FRANK MULLEN

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF

THE TWO TEACHERS, 

THIRTY-EIGHT INFANT SCHOLARS

AND SEVEN CIVILIANS, WHO LOST

THEIR LIVES WHEN AN AMERICAN

LIBERATOR BOMBER CRASHED

DURING A THUNDER STORM

AND DESTROYED A PART OF 

THE ADJOINING SCHOOL AND

OTHER PROPERTY ON

THE 23rd AUGUST 1944.

THIS MONUMENT

WAS ERECTED OVER THEIR GRAVE

BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"

The right wing

SCHOLARS

GILLIAN PARKINSON

JUNE PARKINSON

GEORGE PRESTON

MICHAEL PROBERT

THAMAS RAWCLIFFE

A. MARGARET RAYTON

MALCOME SCOTT

JUNE STEWARTSON

DOROTHY SUDELL

JOHN SUDELL

JOSEPH THRELFALL

JOHN TOWNSEND

BARRIE B. TRUSCOTT

LILLIAN M. WAITE

SYLVIA A. WHYBROW

ALAN WILSON

WILLIAM B. WRIGHT

CIVILIANS

ALLAN WHITTLE

RACHEL WHITTLE

PEARL WHITTLE

J. VICTOR SILCOCK

KATHLEEN FORSHAW

EVELYN RHODES

GWENDOLINE E. M. FRANKEN

Chair facing the memorial.

View from the rear.
There is a path which goes round the whole churchyard
This view faces toward Preston.

View from the memorial facing Holy Trinity church.

View from the road towards the church.
The memorial is straight past the church against the back wall.

It is unbelievably sad, yet a still and reflective place. However worth a visit. I feel this memorial looks just as impeccable as it must have looked 50 years ago.

Freckleton War Memorial

Freckleton is "down the road" from Lytham and St Annes. It is the last village before the coast road reaches Preston. Often Freckleton and Warton are considered as one place because of the giant BAE works there. They make amongst other thing, Military Aircraft. During WW2 it operated as a military airbase. Freckleton is particularily famous for the Freckleton Half Marathon. I believe it is one of the oldest half marathons in the country. Compete several times in the past ten years. Always seems scorchingly hot.

Freckleton has two memorials. The link to the Freckleton Air Crash is here.

The War Memorial is based on a triangular piece of land which could be considered as the town square. Surrounded by a couple of pubs, the church and the local school. Now a ring road surrounds the town and the traffic is considerably less frantic. I very rarely visit the town - just skirt past it.

The Coach and Horses, viewed from the memorial

The Memorial is behind this building

This view is from the north end of the triangular garden
I am presuming that the bottom plinth is for those who fell in the 1939 to 1945 war.

 IN
GRATEFUL MEMORY

OF

THE MEN OF

FRECKLETON

WHO FOUGHT AND FELL

IN THE GREAT WAR

1914-1919

ALSO 

1939 -1945

To the left is the main entrance,
The Coach and Horses is behind.

BANKS, ROBERT

BATTERESBY, HENRY,

COTTAM, ERNEST

ECCLES, JOHN

GREGSON, JOHN ROBERT

HALSALL, JOSEPH

CARR, SILVESTER

GARLICK, JAMES THOMAS

GREGSON, DENNIS

GILLETT, JOHN ALFRED

GREENWOOD, WILLIAM

Looking due north

 LEST WE FORGET

GARDENER, KEITH V. - 24th JUNE 1959
STRICKLAND, DAVID ANTHONY - 25th MAY 1982

Just behind is the main road. Traffic lights to the right.
There is also another pub to the left

IBBISON, EDWARD

NEWSHAM, JAMES

PORTER, JOHN

RAMSHEAD, HENRY

RIGBY, THOMAS

SALTHOUSE, WILLIAM

SNAPE, EDWARD

RIGBY, ROBERT M.

ALLANSON, THOMAS

CAMPBELL, JOSEPH,

EDWARDS, NORMAN

GARNER, MICHAEL

View from the road, The Church is to the right beyond the road.

Approximately from the front corner of the church.
The other memorial is within the church