| Web
Transcript © 2003 Hubmaker. All rights reserved.
Reproduction by any means strictly prohibited.
RECTOR'S NEWS LETTER
February 11th 1941
My
dear Lads,
The Prime Minister, in his inspiring address to us all on Sunday
evening, quoted a text from the Holy Bible, which he told us he
had telegraphed to General Wavell on the eve of his setting forth
on his great and glorious campaign in Lybia. The text quoted was
St. Mathew, Chapter 7, verse 7.
They were our Lord's own words to us all, to give us, first, a sense
of' our complete dependence upon God, the only Giver of all good
things; second to inspire us with a sense of our strength in and
through God, omnipotent and omniscient, Who holds all things, however
great, however small, in the hollow of His hands. Prayer is; of
course, placing ourselves trustfully in the hands of God. It is
not a static resignation, merely saying, if it is to be it is to
be; but an active. participation in the purpose of God. And no prayer
can be completely fulfilled until we have done our part to fulfil
it. Our Lord Himself, after spending a whole night in prayer, wrestling
with God, said to his disciples, "Arise, let us, be going" and went
boldly forth to fulfil the Father's purpose. But the act of prayer
was most essential.
I
ask you then, if; alas, you have given up the habit of prayer, to
get back to it at once. Ask your Chaplain to help you. Do not be
afraid to ask boldly. He will like it, for it is part of his job.
And through prayer you will find new strength, new life, new vision,
for you will have put your hand into the Hand of God. With my love
and my blessing,
L.N. Forse.
Extracts from Letters.
Marine Kenneth Nicholson is being posted to a very well known battleship.
Says "the last thing I expected to happen this week was to be drafted,
but I am glad it has come at last". Adds "I will try and write to
you as often as possible, but as you know we are censored so they
won't be very interesting to you". Further adds that he hopes to
get the N.L. regularly. Gunner John Rimmer (Hesketh Lane) has again
changed his address, and says he is looking forward to seeing some
of. the Tarleton lads who are in Scotland. Encloses his photo, a
very good one, and says "Thank you" for the N.L. Dvr. Dick Sephton
(Rufford), says he receives the N.L. regularly while he is chasing
Musso's gang, including "Electric Whiskers", across the Lybian desert.
He has received a letter from Ernie Ball and wishes to be remembered
to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Ball. Has had some interesting convoys across
the deserts to many different places. Has a mate from Clitheroe
and one from Northumberland, and finishes with saying that all the
lads like reading the N. L. Dvr. Bert Price says his Chaplain, is
the Rev. E.A. Lee, Vicar of Banks, who preaches very good sermons.
Wishes to be remembered to all his pals at home or abroad, especially
Herbert and Cliff, his brother Harry and William Sutton. Is billeted
in a large Hotel with every convenience, h & c in every room,
and has to do a 24 hour guard every third night. Adds "If old Hitler
could only see the true spirit of the British people he would not
think of trying to invade England at all. Corpl. Instructor Ernie
Ball saw Matt Sutton on Sunday, they are within a mile of each other.
Says that there will soon be fathers and sons serving together if
the age limit goes any further. Says he is already looking forward
to the "collar and tie" days. Pte. Ronnie Sargeant hopes to come
to England in the near future. Says it has snowed incessantly where
he is and this has hindered his work as a dispatch rider. Shewed
the N. L. to his new Chaplain who liked the idea. Wishes to be remembered
to his cousin Ted Barnish, who is on his way east, and says it will
accelerate the Italian retreat when they see him in his tropical
kit. Sign.Thomas Fazackerly writes his letter at 4-0 a.m. while
in charge of a telephone box in a very pleasant part of England.
Says he and Bill Wright (Royal Marines) correspond regularly. Sends
a very good photo to add to our collection and says he hopes to
get home again in April if all goes well. Gdsn. Aubrey Smith has
been in hospital and hopes to get convalescent leave about the 15th
of this month. Shewed the N.L. to the Hospital Chaplain, and he
found it very interesting. Dvr.Jack Robinson writes from somewhere
over the water to say that he was invited out to a farm house and
was "done well". Roast pork, ham, tongue and a chicken were only
a few amongst the very appetising viands on the table. Adds, "so
you can see, sir, I am not taking much harm". Says he is out to
supper nearly every evening at farm houses and all the people are
very good to the lads. Asks us to send to Ronnie Iddon, and his
father and sisters, his deepest sympathy in their great loss. Commander
John Caunce writes to say "I see that someone has promoted me to
Commodore in the Weekly News, 4. 2. 41 Please correct this. I have
been granted the rank of Commander whilst holding my present appointment.
The Senior Service, fortunately or unfortunately, only jumps one
step at a time and the period between grades is considerable".
Adds that he finds the N.L. still very interesting.
From
Cliff Hambilton
Cliff sends the following in a letter-card to his parents:
Dear Mother and Father, Hope this finds you both in the best of
health like I am, and not worrying about me to much, as I am doing
fine. It is very cold indeed here. It snowed all day on the 26th
of this month (October of last year). Never known it so cold and
would be very grateful for a good pair of boots, as mine are useles
and I cannot get any more. Still working very hard, and you cannot
keep warm on our job working with cold iron all day. I thought I
should be with you for Christmas, but with it drawing so near now
we shall have to look forward to the next one together. Give my
love to all my friends. I shall be mighty pleased when the letters
and parcels get through to us. Cheer up, keep smiling. Your loving
son , Clifford.
The
letter, which has only just reached his parents, was dated Oct.
30th 1940. It is very difficult to send anything to prisoners of
war, as the Germans place so many restrictions upon parcels. Should
any of Clifford's thousand and one friends wish to send him anything,
apart from a letter, they should first of all communicate with his
parents or the rector.
On
Leave.
Frank McKean for 7 days, Dan Stazicker for 7 days, Dick Johnson
on 7 days' Embarkation Leave, Tom Tindsley for 7 days, Jimmy Parkinson
for 7 days, George Burns for 7 days, Tom Burns for 48 hours to see
his brother, Frank Foster for an hour when driving his Officer through
the village, Harry Harrison for 7 days, Harry Rigby for Sunday leave,
Fred Forshaw for 24 hrs., William Stringfellow for 7 days, Willian
Bridge for 7 days.
Village
Talk.
David Hanson, Kearsley Ave., has joined the R.A.F; Frank Foster
is hoping to go abroad soon; William Hull, Tarleton and Hoole, is
being married on Saturday in Tarleton Church, to Alice Sutton of
Hesketh Lane. He is
going to live at Great Sankey, Nr. Warrington. James Barron, Wesley
Cottages, who is in the H.G. was slightly wounded in the hand with
a bayonet while doing exercises. The H.G. had a route march to Mere
Brow and back, 7 miles in all on Sunday morning. Foot inspection
afterwards
revealed many blisters. Our A.F.S. attended a parade at Hesketh
Bank. Chapel on Sunday afternoon. On Thursday week a Gipsy Concert
is to be given in the Chapel Sunday School for the Comforts Fund.
The Tarleton Guild of Players gave their Christmas Pantomime "Simple
Simon" at the Methodist School at Walmer Bridge on Saturday. There
is some talk about the house.Mrs. Mayor used to occupy, next to
Websters, being turned into the A.R.P. Headquarters. Mr. Freeman,
the Council School teacher, has now been finally called up to the
R:A.F. He is being attached to the Medical Corps. The Rector has
been without his car for nearly three weeks while England has been
searched for a "new" second-hand radiator. The car will be in working
order by the week-end.
Parish
Magazines.
If you have not received a Parish Magazine for February, and would
like one, please. seed a note to the Rector and 'he will send you
one each month until the end of the year.
Chestnuts.
There is no truth in the assertion that the reason why there are
so many Scots in the R.A.F. is because they have been told that
every cloud has a silver lining.
Last
year 4,076 people died of gas. 29 inhaled it, 27 put a light to
it, and 4,000 stepped on it.
What's
that?" asked the nervous evacuee from the town, when he heard a
terrific screech outside the farmhouse window on the night of his
arrival. "That" replied his farmer host, "was on owl."
"I know it was an 'owl", stuttered the nervous evacuee. "but what
was it that 'owled?" |
