Winter 2018Rochdale Remembers

Lest We Forget - The Great War Centenary

You would be hard pressed to find more poignant words than those uttered on Remembrance Sunday every year. Yet truer words have never been spoken as we commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War.

Then known as the Great War, after four years of fighting, World War One ended at 11am on 11 November 1918 when Germany signed an armistice prepared by the Allies.

A turning point in world history, the Great War claimed the lives of over 16 million people worldwide, leaving a huge impact on all those who experienced it.

Rochdale borough was no exception: approx 3,000 local men died of the 15,000 -16,000 who fought in the war, according to a dissertation by Michael Bull entitled ‘Rochdale and the Great War 1914 - 1920.’ Rochdale’s ‘Tank Week’ in April 1918 raised £1.7million for the war effort: touring tanks put on a display for crowds encouraging people to raise money, with towns and cities becoming quite competitive.

In 2018, a tank replica and floral display was installed near Kiln Lane – a fitting homage to the authentic 23-ton female Mark IV training tank that was housed there after arriving at Milnrow Railway Station on 29 April 1919.

The original tank stayed at Kiln Lane until it was removed in 1934 due to health and safety concerns.

Rochdale also played a part in supporting the Royal Navy: synonymous with high class engineering, Castleton manufacturers Whipp and Bourne supplied many of the ships used in major battles during both world wars.

Founded in 1903, Whipp and Bourne closed in 2008 after more than a century of business. A street on the site of the former factory was named Ark Royal Avenue after one of the ships it designed parts for.

2018 has seen quiet but powerful reminders of the centenary with numerous commemorations for example, the installation of silent soldier silhouettes and large poppies, cenotaph renovations, and a reflective garden outside the Town Hall.

A new memorial was established on Castleton’s green to respect the village’s men who died in the conflict. Regular tributes to Littleborough’s fallen soldiers have been published on Rochdale Online since 17 November 2014, thanks to Bernard Pratt from Littleborough History Society.

Various streets across the borough have been named after battles of the Great War, such as Verdun Crescent and Jutland Avenue, or named in honour of some of our bravest soldiers, such as LCpl Joel Halliwell V.C. Way in Middleton and Henry Hill Close in Heywood.

Joel Halliwell VC was a lance-corporal in the 11th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

After the war he was awarded the Victoria Cross – the highest military honour for valour in the face of possible death. He returned to his home in Middleton after the war and was landlord at the New Inn on Long Street, Middleton. He was buried in Boarshaw Cemetery in 1958.

Flight Commander Hill was just 29 when his plane was shot down behind enemy lines during a dangerous night mission on 21 October 1917.

Famous for his flying skills, he was also a talented architect who helped design some of the region’s finest buildings, including Heywood’s Saint Joseph’s Parish Church.

The borough’s heroes may be gone, but their legacies remain, ensuring they are not forgotten.