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No: 252
RECTOR'S WEEKLY NEWS
February 1st 1945

My Dear Boys and girls,
Now, at last, our boys are coming in a small, but continuous stream, on leave from abroad, and we are all most pleased to see them.
As you will see from the 'Home Front' news I have been very busy this week with accidents and deaths.
I have quite a lot of letters from which, owing to space, I have not been able to give extracts, so I will issue a double number next week to work them off. Also, from what many lads write to me, I should think that the fishes were enjoying many of the letters you have sent me, for I have certainly not received them. So please try again.
Some of your letters which I am now receiving were written as long ago as November last, and before they came to hand I had received letters from the same lads written well after Christmas. So the overseas post has gone wonky somewhere.
The good news from all the battle fronts makes one hope that the war may be over sooner than we expected, and that great and blessed day, when you all march into Tarleton Parish Church to give thanks to God for a victorious ending to the war and a safe return, be near at hand.
With my love, my blessing and all my prayers,
Ever your affectionate friend,
L N FORSE

HOME FRONT NEWS.
Flying Officer Harry Taylor, (Haigh Avenue) is in a Military Hospital in Essex, suffering from minor injuries caused by enemy action. He is doing well.
Jimmy Dandy (Green Lane, Holmes) who for many years has suffered from sleeping sickness, was found dead in bed on Friday. He was buried in Tarleton Churchyard on Tuesday.
Mrs Isobella Barron, (Banks Farm, Sollom) died at the residence of her son, Bert Barron in Hesketh Lane, on Friday. She was buried at Tarleton Churchyard on Monday, after a Service in the new Church. She was 72 years of age.
Lawley Pye, (of the cottages near the canal at Bank Bridge) died on Saturday. And was buried in Tarleton Churchyard on Tuesday. She had been ill a long time. She was 19 years of age.
The Rector addressed the Methodist Fellowship on Tuesday evening in the Methodist schoolroom. He also addressed the Hesketh Bank Young People's Fellowship on Wednesday evening in the HB schools.
Sergt Jack Bourn, of the Loyals, who was taken prisoner of war at Singapore, has written home from Japan saying he is in good health, but ready for home.
Mrs Will Roberts (nee Olive Dobson from Tarleton Lock) fell indoors on Tuesday and broke her leg. We regret to say it was her bad one. She is doing very well.
Mrs Betty Ball (Tarleton Lock Houses) was coming out of Carr Lane on her bicycle when she skidded in trying to avoid a motor lorry, ands suffered from head injuries. Several stitches were put in her head. She is doing well
Billy Parkinson (Church View), is home on 8 days' leave from BLA. George Burns and Herbert Parkinson are also home on 8 days' leave from BLA. Frank Foulds is home before being transferred to the Glider airbornes.
There was skating on the Canal during the week-end.
Miss Lizzy Barron (Doctor's Lane End) who, as reported in last week's issue lost three fingers of her left hand while working in a sawmill at Burscough is in Ormskirk Hospital, and not Southport, as stated last week. She is doing well.
Heatley's bungalow, in Guide Road, HB, with three small greenhouses, 40' x 12' were sold last Saturday for £3,620.
James Iddon, Delta Corner, Back Lane was the buyer. Four acres of land went with bungalow and greenhouses.
Heatley's 12 large greenhouses and four acres of land behind the house he lives at in Guide Road were sold to the Duckworth's, at the end of New Road, Tarleton, for £4,950. All the greenhouses are 104', and all are heated.
Edward Moss, Croston, was the auctioneer in both cases.
Mrs Lord, who lived in the Bungalow in Moss Lane, has died at the age of 80 years.

ON LEAVE.
Hugh Melling; Peter Dawson (HB); Harold Pilkington;
Jimmy Latham; Nelly Pendlebury; William Harrison (Holmes).
The Rector went round the Lancashire mines on Thursday, seeing the Managers and trying to get the local Bevan boys into nearby pits.

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS.
Cpl Tommy Burns airmails from CMF, "If any of the boys get into the well known city and capital of Italy they are not very far from me. Please convey my thanks to the Bowling Club for their generous gift, also my best wishes to all the lads and lassies in the Forces, especially my brothers Dick, Jim, George and Fred; and Harry Forrest and George West and Bert Price and Hugh Rowland".
ERN Dick Burns writes from his ship, "I sent you a photo and did not see any comment on it in the NL to say that you had got it. (Thanks, Dick, I received it safely, its very good and is with the others in the Lady Chapel in Church). By the time you get this, Christmas will have come and gone. This is my second Christmas out here and I hope my last. I am ready to settle down to a good and peaceful life as soon as possible. My kind regards to my brothers Jim, Tom, George and Fred, brothers-in-law Harry Forrest and George West, also Bert, Hugh and Mick Melling".
Dvr Fred Burns writes, "I don't know whether you know these Barracks or not, but I find them quite nice. We get up at 7.30, have two hours for dinner and finish at 4pm. Remember me to my brothers
Tom (CMF) Jimmy (BLA), Dick (CMF) also my pals Ronnie Iddon (Chunky), and Fred Bentham". (No, Fred, yours are amongst the very few Barracks in England that I have not been billeted in my lifetime).
Dvr Noel Clark (Nobby) writes from BLA, "I do appreciate your very kind efforts on behalf of all us lads away from home. I have filled in the Form you sent to the best of my ability, and if there is anything else you desire to know you can obtain it from my mother".
L/Cpl Tom Harrison (Kearsley Avenue) airmails from India, "I wrote to you as soon as I arrived here and I haven't seen anything in the NL about it. I had a letter from my brother now in Italy, but I have not seen any of the Tarleton boys around this way. I was not able to get the Church at all at Christmas time, I was on duty day and night. I was glad when Christmas was over. Remember me to my brother Bill and to Gerrard Pendlebury and all the girls and boys away from home".
Dvr Dick Gabbott airmails from MEF,"I have a little surprise for you. One of the few Tarleton lads who are still out here has been posted to this Company. It is Harley McKean. We are both sleeping in the same billet so we see a lot of each other. The next time he writes to you, you will see that he has been promoted. I was going to ask Harley to finish off this letter, but he is still working. I will detail him to drop you a few lines later. Remember me to my brother Howard, my brother-in-law Abel Bickstaffe and my old pals John Iddon, Ken Nicholson, Jack Moss, and all the other lads and lassies in the Forces".
Pte Ted Barnish (Hoole) airmails from CMF,"Just before Christmas we were rushed up to the front line, this time on foot. We left our armour behind. I'm afraid that foot slogging is a new kind of warfare to us fellows, and doesn't go down very well. Our Christmas dinner is still walking round in the pen. When we shall eventually get it no one knows. In June this year I finish my four and a half years abroad, so I hope to see you in July or August. Yesterday I had a letter from my brother Alec. He is in Greece he said things were pretty rough out there".
Marine Charles Martin (Carr Lane) writes from BLA,"Having left undone most things which I ought to have done, especially answering mail I have decided to write now. Invariably I have said to myself that I would write to you to-morrow, so now I have made the effort and caught up with to-morrow, an achievement admittedly. Often your NL arrives when other mail fails, and I find them quite interesting".
Gunner Arthur Harrison both airmails and writes from BLA,"The weather here is awful, it's bitter cold, but we have a stove and plenty of straw in our tent. I have had letters from both Bill Barker and Jack Robinson which I have answered. I am writing this letter in a little bed in hospital I had a big abscess at the back of my neck, but I am glad to say I am feeling much easier now., To all the boys and girls away I say 'Keep smiling, it won't be long now".
AB John Croft writes from his ship, "Yesterday I received three NLs one of which enclosed the questionnaire. Next time I get home on leave I really shall make an effort to come and see you, especially as it might be Foreign Draft leave".
Sergt Doris Hynam, Mere Brow, (nee Doris Molyneaux) writes, "I have at last managed to get a posting not very far from my husband. We can see each other several times each week. It is a lovely spot down here, although, like everywhere else, these days the weather is very cold. Being surrounded on three sides by the sea we get plenty of breezes".