Page 36 - Real Rochdale - Winter 2018
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Rochdale Remembers
Lest we forget - the Great War Centenary “On the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month, we will remember them.”
You would be hard pressed to find more poignant money, with towns and cities becoming centenary with numerous commemorations for
words than those uttered on Remembrance Sunday quite competitive. example, the installation of silent soldier silhouettes
every year. Yet truer words have never been spoken and large poppies, cenotaph renovations, and a
as we commemorate 100 years since the end of the In 2018, a tank replica and floral display was reflective garden outside the Town Hall.
First World War. installed near Kiln Lane – a fitting homage to the
authentic 23-ton female Mark IV training tank that A new memorial was established on Castleton’s
Then known as the Great War, after four years was housed there after arriving at Milnrow Railway green to respect the village’s men who died in the
of fighting, World War One ended at 11am on 11 Station on 29 April 1919. conflict. Regular tributes to Littleborough’s fallen
November 1918 when Germany signed an armistice soldiers have been published on Rochdale Online
prepared by the Allies. The original tank stayed at Kiln Lane until it was since 17 November 2014, thanks to Bernard Pratt
removed in 1934 due to health and safety concerns. from Littleborough History Society.
A turning point in world history, the Great War
claimed the lives of over 16 million people Rochdale also played a part in supporting the Royal Various streets across the borough have been
worldwide, leaving a huge impact on all those who Navy: synonymous with high class engineering, named after battles of the Great War, such as
experienced it. Castleton manufacturers Whipp and Bourne sup- Verdun Crescent and Jutland Avenue, or named in
plied many of the ships used in major battles during honour of some of our bravest soldiers, such as LCpl
Rochdale borough was no exception: approx 3,000 both world wars. Joel Halliwell V.C. Way in Middleton and Henry Hill
local men died of the 15,000 -16,000 who fought in Close in Heywood.
the war, according to a dissertation by Michael Bull Founded in 1903, Whipp and Bourne closed in 2008
entitled ‘Rochdale and the Great War 1914 - 1920.’ after more than a century of business. A street on Joel Halliwell VC was a lance-corporal in the 11th
the site of the former factory was named Ark Royal Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers.
Rochdale’s ‘Tank Week’ in April 1918 raised £1.7 Avenue after one of the ships it designed parts for.
million for the war effort: touring tanks put on a After the war he was awarded the Victoria Cross –
display for crowds encouraging people to raise 2018 has seen quiet but powerful reminders of the
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.
Photographs courtesy of
Rochdale Local Studies Centre, Touchstones
Visit the ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’ display in the Local History
Centre from 6 November to 1 December, featuring local men who
risked their lives for their country.
For opening hours and directions, visit: www.link4life.org
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