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RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
January 29th 1944
No. 199 - Published weekly since May 1940

From Mr. H.J. Melling,
Commanding 13th (Tarleton) Platoon, H.G

Dear Boys and Girls,
I have been asked by the Rector to write a few lines for the News-Letter. I think the first thing to do is to thank him on your behalf for the great amount of time and trouble he spends in gathering together the news of our village and surrounding districts and passing it on to you in the form of the News Letter.
To the lads who served in the Home Guard I send special greetings and hope the little we could do in the way of training was of assistance to you when you joined the Forces.
The Home Guard is now a very efficient and well-armed Force, and I have no doubt would be able to give a very good account of itself should it ever be tried out. The number and personel of this Platoon do not alter much; I suppose this is due to Tarleton being chiefly a farming area.
To my Son, Brother and Nephews, and all who worked for my Firm, and to all of you, may I say that I hope and trust that you will all be back home with your loved ones before long, and, by the Grace of God, sound in body and mind.
Yours respectfully,
H. J. MELLING.
O/C Home Guard. (Tarleton) .

HOME FRONT NEWS:
Mrs. William Ball, of Banks (nee Eva Sephton of Gorse Lane) has presented her husband with a daughter.
Mr. Alf Pickervance, farmer, of Rosacre in the Fylde, had a sale on Thursday, and nearly all the Tarleton farmers took a day off to attend it.
Mr. Isaac Clark has received a letter from his son Noel in the M.E.F. saying that some time ago he met Tom Walsh, and a few weeks ago he also met Nick Taylor, who married Tolsey Stazicker. Noel had called his lorry "Tarleton" and had written the name in large letters on the wagon. Nick Taylor saw this and enquiring who the driver was found it was Noel. So if anyone sees this wagon, Noel's motto now is "Stop me, and have a chat". Mr. Clark has also received a cablegram from Lewis saying "All well and fit; please don't worry."
Mrs. Ellen Coulton (nee Ellen Ball of Moss Lane), who married Jack Coulton, (Nut) of H.B., has presented her husband with a daughter.
Mrs. Stephen Wareing (nee Annie Hornby), both of H.B. has presented her husband with a daughter.
Mrs. Herbert Ball (nee Mary Houghton of Fermor Road) has presented her husband with a son.
Mr. Joe Hague who, as reported in last week's N.L., has purchased one of the Jubilee Houses in Carr Lane, is putting up his present house and greenhouses near the water Tower for sale on Saturday next.

On Leave: Jimmy and Billy Harrison,(Kearsley Avenue): Tom Dickinson: Robert Bond (Mere Brow): Harold Aspey: Will Seddon: Will Barker.
Tarleton Corinthians played St. Thomas Moore, Birkdale, at home on Saturday and lost 4 - 3.
Some time ago the rector asked, through the N.L. for the lads away to suggest a few prominent people whom they would like to write the letter on the front page. E.R.M. Dick Burns, R.N. last week suggested Lieut. J.H. Melling (H. G.) as he was himself an old Army man, had a son, a brother, two nephews, eleven workmen and scores who had served under him in the H.G. all at present in the Regular Army. So the Rector asked Mr. Melling, and his letter appears on the front page. Whom shall we ask next? .Any more suggestions?.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS:
L /Cpl. Harley McKean airgraphs from the M.E.F. to say "The bumper Christmas number of the N.L. arrived in time for Christmas and I do think that it was a great effort on your part. Well, this is 1944 and, we hope 'Victory Year'. I think we owe you people back home a real debt for standing by us when things were not so good as they are to-day. Remember me to my brothers Dick and Frank, brother-in-law Bill, Alf Rowland and Les Clarkson (Bretherton)".
Dvr. John Caunce sends an airmail from a Base Depot in the M.E.F. whither he has gone after nearly three months in hospital and convalescent depot, saying "I am writing this letter just to let you know that you must not worry if I do not write again for a week or so. Don't think anything has happened; it will be just because I shall be busy, and maybe I shall have no time to write. Remember me to John Spencer and Frank Foulds. I have not had any mail now since August, so I am without news from home".
Stoker Jack Twist writes from his Submarine, somewhere beneath the Ocean, to say "I like the submarine service O.K., and life here it not too bad, we get good food. I bet some of the lads out foreign wouldn't mind coming home for a leave. Still it won't be long before all the boys and girls are home once more. I will have to close as duty calls."
Stoker Will Melling R.N. (H.B.) airgraphs "I am still in the Far East. I have not received the Christmas N.L. yet, but I am sure it will find me soon. You will see by this airgraph that I have changed my address. These few lines will let you know how much I appreciate the marvellous N.L."
ACW/2 Pamela Fairey writes "The camp here is very large and we have a very fine Church. I went there on Sunday morning, but could not help feeling rather homesick when I visualised our own Tarleton Church and Service; Although the Padre is exceptionally nice. There is only one thing that I do not enjoy, and that is cleaning our uniform buttons, and we do seem to have an awful lot of them."
L/cpl. Arthur Molyneux says "I am still employed as an Instructor for Tank drivers. Harry Crook is still in this camp and I see him quite often; its very nice to be able to talk to someone about the old home district. Please thank the M.U.; B.L. (Women's Section): Conservative women, for the Christmas presents received from them."
Fus. Billy Lowe writes saying "I am writing this letter in the N.A.A.F.I. and I have one of your N.Ls before me as I write. We had a lovely Church parade last Sunday week, but we did not get to Church last Sunday as we have moved to another camp. Please remember me to Barbara Coupe and Sandy Laing and all others in the Forces."
Mr. John Hornby, B.E.M., R.N. writes "I am at a training base for recruits, and am likely to be here for two years. Would you mind telling the boys from Tarleton who have joined up and have come to Glendower, to look me up and I may be able to help them a little. H.M.S. Glendower is not on the secret list, so it is quite alright to mention the name in your widely circulated N.L."
Pte. Bob Barron (Hesketh Lane), says "Thanks for the N.Ls which mean more to me than all the newspapers put together. I had a very good Chrismas; plenty to eat, turkey, roast pork etc. Please thank via the N.L. the Bowling Club: M.U.: B.L.: and the Conservatives for their Christmas gifts. I would like you to give my kind regards to my brother Arthur and all serving in the Forces."
Dvr. Jack Robinson writes "I am now in my fifth year in the Army, and it does not seem as long as it sounds. I have been very fortunate as well. I am writing this letter while on guard. All the lads here like the N.L. Please thank the people of Tarleton for the Christmas gifts which I have received. They have done a lot for us boys and girls away from home".
Corpl. Jimmy Burns says "I have been running round England and Scotland, but have now settled down at last. I have had a few letters this week from my old pals in Italy, and one lad says that the thing he misses most is not his old section Corporal (myself) but the N.L. He says I always handed it round. Do you remember when Bert Price wrote to you saying that he was in a lonely spot 4 miles from a pub, 3 miles from a dance hall and so on? Well, the boys in the desert did make fun of that. They said at the time 'Our Corporal will tell us how far we are from the nearest pub'. So I looked it up on a map and took a bearing, and we were just 1,500 miles from the nearest pub. Remember me to my brother Tom (C.M.F.), Dick, (somewhere on the high seas), George (in England) and my brothers-in-law Harry Forrest (M.E.F.) and George West (in England), and all the boys and girls in the Forces."
Gunner E. Harrison (Fermor Road) writes "After being up and down Scotland for nearly 12 months I have moved here for an eight week's course. I am among more Lancashire lads than ever I have been before. Still the nearest to Tarleton of all the lads I have so far come in conversation with are two from Preston."
Pte. Harry Woosey says "I have now had my operation and am doing nicely. The job came off at 12 o'clock on Thursday and I was back in the ward at 12.45. I was sick from one o'clock till nine at night getting rid of ether and clots of blood. It is much better in hospital than being in my last camp. I have had three eggs this week and the food is O.K. Please remember me to all the lads and lassies away."
Stoker J. Bretherton, who comes from Bretherton, writes "Yesterday morning I received an N.L. dated May 15th, 1943, on which there were seven different addresses; some of them I have never heard of before. I was recommended by the doctor for six months' shore service. He said he would have me sent to a quiet spot, and believe me he meant it. I have not been ashore since I came here, but I hope, with luck, to be home in another fourteen days".
Sapper George Barker writes "I am still on the same old job, carting clay in every conceivable type of wagon. My passing thoughts at the moment are 'I wonder what the New Year Dance is going like in Tarleton School, and whether you will be joining hands and singing Auld Lang Syne while the Church bells are ringing the old year out and the new year in'".