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Transcript © 2003 Hubmaker. All rights reserved.
Reproduction by any means strictly prohibited.
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
March 18th 1942
My dear Lads,
Mothering Sunday went off very well, but I missed so many of you
who could have been present at the early Celebration had circumstances
permitted. Nevertheless I was pleasantly surprised at the large
number of men present at this service nearly all of them of course,
fathers with their families. On Saturday next the Bishop of Blackburn
administers the Sacrament of Confirmation in Tarleton Parish Church.
I ask you to remember the girls and boys being confirmed in your
prayers. And then think back to your own Confirmation, your own
first Communion, the thronged Altar on Mothering Sunday when you
were taking your Communion with some hundreds of your companions.
Did those red letter days of old make no impression on you? Try
and catch some of the inspiration of those halcyon days and thank
God for the influence of home, and village Church and frequent Communions.
Those were sheltered days, and now you are out in the wide world,
tossed here and there, the very thought of them should form a sheet
anchor in times of stress and temptation. God knows how much we
need His help at the present time, and you and I are the ones, for
we believe in Him and trust him, to invoke that help.
May your prayers mingle with mine before the Throne, ever your affectionate
Brother,
L. N. FORSE.
Home
Front News.
The little girl, Katherine, of Mr. and Mrs. Frankland, Marshes Lane,
Mere Brow, was knocked off her bicycle On Monday by a Ribble bus
and was killed instantly. She was 7yrs old. Her little sister, aged
2 days, died just a fortnight ago. Mr. and Mrs. Hind have been officially
informed that their son Lieut. Eric Hind is reported missing at
Singapore. Nothing has so far been heard of John Tindsley or Jimmy
Latham. Mr George Mawdsley, Fulwood Avenue, is very seriously ill
with heart trouble. Night and day nurses in attendance. Bill Leadbetter
better known as Bill Galloper, had his leg crushed in Johnson's
(Banks) thresher, and is in Southport Infirmary with broken ankle.
Fred Pearson is in Morecambe Infirmary with internal trouble. Jimmy
Dandy’s (Hesketh Lane) wife has had a seizure. Lewis Clark
has been called up and goes on Tuesday. Bonney's set up a record
on Wednesday when they threshed 199 sacks of oats in a day. This
did not include seconds. Martlands (Burscough) had a sale of spare
farm implements on Thursday and some extremely high prices were
reached for most of the tackle. The Banns were called on Sunday
of William Lyon, Holmeswood, and Florence Penny of Mere Brow. They
are to be married at Rufford. Quite a commotion in village because
the W.L.R.D.C. has taken up all the railings and iron gates except
those guarding the Council property at Water Tower and the Pinfold
in the village, they took all the railing in front of British Legion
Club adjoining Pinfold. Miss Alice Rowland was married on Saturday
to Richard Townsley at the Methodist Chapel, Tarleton. Wedding very
early in the morning as the happy couple had to catch Isle of Man
boat where they are spending their honeymoon on Isle, not boat.
John Caunce has been called up to the R.A.F., and goes to his station
for the usual three days before final call up. Richard Fletcher
(Dick) from the Co op goes for his medical this week. Boys of 16
are being enrolled as Police Messengers. They are provided with
armlet, tin hat, macintosh and boots. The Registration of Youth’s
Committee of which the rector is Chairman, has been asked to find
a few recruits. Tarleton Lads' Football Team played an A.A. Battery
Team on Saturday on Hesketh Bank football ground and lost 10 - 0.
Mr. and Mrs. Nutter have received a photograph of Herbert taken
with twenty two companions p-o-w. He is looking very well and says
he is in a good camp. The rector has received a very nice silver
printed card from Mr. and Mrs. John Maher, of Luton, Beds. requesting
the pleasure of his company at the marriage of their daughter Constance
with Sgt. Ernie Ball, at Holy Trinity Church, Tarleton on Sat. April
11th at 2.30 p.m. Sgt Nick Dewhurst Scots Guards is home on 10 days
leave. LAC Bert Barron on weekend while waiting embarkation. AC
Billy Molyneux for 7days.
Extracts
from Letters.
Lieut. Arthur Croft sends by airgraph the following interesting
facts. "A few lines to let you know that I am enjoying Army
life in India, and am keeping fit. I want to thank you for the N.L.
which is arriving regularly every week. The ones I am receiving
at present have chased me all round England but nevertheless have
turned up here - in fact the first "Blighty" mail I received
was the N.L. I have already met 3 fellows from my last regiment
out here it really is a small world isn't it? When I am allowed
I shall send you a long letter giving more details of my voyage
etc. I hope you received my Christmas Greetings to you." (The
rector did receive these Greetings and thanks Arthur for them.)
Two letters come by the same post from Seaman William Ball (Scoot)
Moss Lane, the one dated "Sunday. Jan 4th 1942 and the other
Wed. Jan. 21st 1942." The first one begins "Many thanks
for the 20. N.Ls I received a few days ago; you see we received
six months mail at once. I myself received aver 100 letters."
He has been at sea for 6 months and says it seemed a lifetime. Goes
on "We have just been to Church on the Upper deck, the Captain
taking the Service. I received the N.L. telling the boys of my stay
in New York. I only wish some of them could have a taste of it themselves.
It was very nice. I have been to quite a few places since last leaving
the sweetest little spot in the world. Enclosed you will find a
snap of the statue of Christ on the top of one of the mountains
overlooking Rio de Janeiro." The second letter begins "Just
a few lines thanking you for the N.L.s I received on Tuesday. I
don' t suppose that any of the boys have received any of theirs
in the same circumstances; you see we received Mail at sea and miles
and miles from land. I was one of the boats crew that had to transfer
it from one ship to ours. One thing was the sea was pretty calm
and I quite enjoyed the trip. Last year we steamed 79,000 miles
and altogether I have travelled 130,000 miles since I joined this
ship.” These are the most interesting items from six closely
written pages. Gunner Dan. Stazicker begins his letter like this
"I have a complaint to make; and it is this: On the day I left
home after my last leave my mother said "It is no use me writing
and giving you Tarleton news because you get it all in the N.L."
I tell you this because I am more than thankful for the N.L. and
Magazine which I receive very regularly. I am still billeted in
the street with the very unusual name "Unthank Road".
I still go to a place of worship Sunday by Sunday and make my Communions
regularly." Says that the other Sunday he had to go to a nearby
aerodrome to watch a demonstration of enemy bombers which had been
captured, and there he found Fred Pollard. Says "It was grand
to see someone from my own village, and I suppose Fred thought the
same." Ends, "I wish to be remembered to all the Tarleton
lads in the Forces, and especially to those serving overseas whose
whereabouts are unknown except to God and themselves. Gunner Harry
Harrison says that he is four miles from a village and, as there
are no buses he has to walk. He is also 26 miles from "what
a Tarleton soldier would call a ‘gradely town’ . Finishes
by saying that "as it is now 9.45 p.m. and I have just finished
my last job in the Officers Mess I will close by thanking you for
my regular N.L. Adds as a P.S. "Our Luxury Ration: 35 cigarettes
a week, a box of matches for 2 weeks, and a 2 1/2 block of chocolate
a fortnight." Wishes to be remembered to all his pals and cousins.
Sends special greetings to Bert Price and says to his brother in
law Billy Benjamin 'Good Luck, Billy Boy." Cpl. Frank Foster
in Middle East, says it makes him smile when he reads in the N.L.
that some of the lads think it terrible to be about four or five
miles from village, with only storm lamps at night, and good solid
floors to sleep on. As we all know Frank, like his father shares
with Mark Tapley the gift of being able to whistle all the more
cheerfully the tighter the corner he finds himself in. With sand
and flies in his food, very many miles from even the semblance of
a village, and that a native one with no shops, and camels instead
of buses he still goes merrily on. Says that he gets the N.L. regularly
though the news is always somewhat stale. Dvr. Stanley Johnson says
he has not had a day off for the last 8 weeks and is driving his
waggon till all hours of the night. He does not see much of Jack
Robinson now a days as Jack is at H.Q. looking after the Chaplin.
Says that where he is it has been snow, and more snow, and then
adds, “I like snow on picture post cards" Trooper Ralph
Whiteside says that all being well he hopes to get nine days leave
at Easter for his wedding. He especially asks to be remembered to
Alf Rowland in the N.L. Adds that he has quite a lot of letters
to write and sends his greetings to all his friends.
Just
a Reminder.
Most of you have been so long in the Forces that you have settled
down to a come a day, go a day, its all the same what ever you say
kind of existence; you have made new friends and have gained new
interests. There is, therefore, the great danger of your home life
receding into the distant perspective. Do not let that be so, but
let us stick together as a village community, a band of brothers
at least until the end of the war. There are still some of the lads
from whom I very rarely hear, others who used to write regularly
and have now dropped off. The N.L. is an excellent way of keeping
in touch with each other and getting the latest local news. So please
do write and keep us all together. If you are hard up for postage
stamps mention it in your letters and I will supply them. It is
worth 2 1/2d to keep in touch with a friend. |
