WINSFORD’S Royal British Legion and town council are launching an ambitious project to trace every single soldier from the town who served in the First World War.

The charity, whose information centre in Fountains Court is already a wealth of information on local military personnel, wants to learn about each brave Tommy who left for the trenches 1914-1919.

Crucially, RBL Winsford branch chairman, Geoff Beetham and his team want to find out more about those who returned from battle, as well as those who died.

“Our research has got to the point where we’re finding out about the individuals,” said Geoff.

“We want to remember them not just as a list of names, but who they were, where they fought and how they died.

“Everybody who went to the Great War has a unique, personal story.

“There are many who would have come back wounded, but they survived. We don’t have their names so we want to find that information.”

Winsford’s RBL has created a reflection garden off Shaws Lane, where 60 oak trees were planted to reflect the acorn emblem of the Cheshire Regiment.

A clearing houses a memorial stone which will be carved with inscriptions by an ornamental stone mason, and containing a book of remembrance in which people can record their memories of past and serving forces personnel.

Geoff wants the book to feature the names of all the soldiers that came back, as well as those who fell, and is appealing to the people of Winsford to get involved in the project.

Get in touch with Geoff via geoff.beetham@hotmail.co.uk

 

RESEARCH into the Great War is hampered by the destruction of massive amounts of documentation during a 1940 bombing raid in London.

The majority of British soldiers First World War records were lost when the War Office warehouse in Arnside Street was hit during The Blitz.

Now that posterity isn’t so reliant on paper and ink, Geoff and his team want to build a database with what remains – oral history and the living memory of soldiers’ families, as well as artefacts and pictures.

Terry Baker of Winsford, whose grandfather fought in the war, said: “I knew nothing about my grandfather until just before my mum passed away.

“Mum had this picture and said ‘you’d better have this’. I asked ‘who is it?’ and she told me: ‘it’s your granddad’.

“I’ve had the military look for records of my grandfather, and they can’t find him.”

“The files not destroyed are in the National Arhives at Kew, but it’s specifically the ones that were destroyed we need to find out about.”

With help from the RBL, Terry unpicked the details of his grandfather, Harry Groves, who died on November 14 1918, three days after armistice.

After surviving the fighting, he was among thousands who tragically fell victim to the deadly flu pandemic that spread through the trenches.

Terry considers himself one of the ‘lucky few’ who have been able to garner information about his forebears, and wants other Winsfordians to be able to do the same in years to come.

He added: “The more of this information we find; the better. We can’t afford as a nation to have these guys forgotten.”

 

ONE family who’ve already researched their First World War legacy are the decedents of Winsford Victoria Cross recipient, James Clarke.

James’ nephew, Alec Clarke, 80, and his great niece, Winifred Abberley (nee Clarke), 76, are living proof of the importance of talking and creating a dialogue – they nearly went their whole lives without knowing they were related to a hero.

Since then, many among the family have helped research Sergeant Clarke, who was born in Winsford in 1894, living in the town before moving to Rochdale as a 19-year-old in 1913.

He awarded the VC for ‘most conspicuous bravery and initiative’ for his actions during a series of battles in Happegarbes, France, between November 2-4 1918.

“It came as a bit of a surprise when we found out he was a hero, we’re all so proud of him,” said Alec.

After surviving the war, James returned to Rochdale, where ill health forced him from his job as a stoker.

With three children to support, his wife, Vera, found work in a cotton mill, while James bought a barrel organ to play on the streets of Manchester.

“He then went one step further and went down to London. But he had to walk from Rochdale to London, because he couldn’t afford the fair,” said Winifred.

Legend has it that James pushed the barrel organ all the way south to the capital, where he was arrested in 1933 for obstructing a footpath.

Wearing his medals to court, James was discharged by a judge after hearing his impressive military record.

Later, he returned to Rochdale, but still visited his birth town. “Only thing I really remember about my uncle Jim is that I was about nine. It was 1947; the year he died,” said Alec.

“He came to his mother’s house, which was at Greenfields Cottages, behind St John’s Church where the school is now.

“My dad lived next door but one to them. They were in number eight; we were in number ten.

“They were all talking on the backs and he was talking to my dad and uncle Tom.

“He patted me on the head and said: ‘whose is this lad here?’ and my dad said: ‘He’s mine’.

“He was ill at the time; you could see he was ill. He had more or less a white face.”

James died later that year, and was buried with full military honours in Rochdale.

In July 1984, his medals sold for £8,800 at Christies. His VC is part of the large collection owned by Lord Ashcroft.

“I just know he’ll never be forgotten,” said Winifred. “I’ve made sure all my children know about him, and my grandchildren. It will carry on through the ages.”