Accrington Pals. - Page 3

Weary Tourist · 02-07-2004, 19:43

Interested in anyone who has details about this individual....

T/Lieut Thomas William Rawcliffe (Military Cross) a.k.a. Tom
Stokes Mortar 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington) East Lancashire Regiment

Served with Batallion until 1917 then as a Major went to USA as an instructor/advisor with US army. In 1919 returned to the family cotton manufacturing firm in Gt Harwood/Clayton-le-Moors. Father was JH Rawcliffe JP.

It would appear that he does not feature on 1901 Census, however I have a lot of information about Rawcliffe's in Hyndburn/Huncoat/Burnley area

Andrew Jackson · 03-07-2004, 11:45

Not really of help to you, Weary Tourist, but Tom Rawcliffe's service record is one that I haven't been able to access at the National Archives (PRO, as was). Because of his post-WW1 service, it's retained by the MOD. The North West Sound Archive at Clitheroe has recordings of Tom being interviewed by Mr William Turner - I believe he talks about his family on tape BT541.

Andrew

Weary Tourist · 03-07-2004, 12:36

Thanks AJ.

You are probably fed up with people telling you that you have a great site, but I don't care. You have a great site, it's been very useful to me. I discovered from your site that my grandfather was in RAF in WWI. I suspect he maintained the engines, as his civilian occupation was to look after the textile machinery.

On a different matter, printed material is somewhat difficult to update after it has been published, whereas material on the web can keep growing. However, material on the web can eventually, disappear forever, and so never end up in an archive, or the British Library etc..

I wonder if you had a long term view as to what might happen to your valuable material that you have so lovingly assembled.

Andrew Jackson · 03-07-2004, 15:34

Always nice to hear that the site is appreciated. One of my grandfathers too was an RFC/RAF mechanic in WW1 (Thomas Jackson in the AVL).

Point taken about the long term future of the site. I hope to have a few decades yet to look after it, but I will make sure that it goes into safe hands!

Andrew

Atarah · 06-07-2004, 13:48

Well, I have been hanging on, wondering if anyone was going to show any photos from the procession on Sunday. No-one has yet, so here goes. All these photographs I am showing are thanks to Owd Bert, whose photography skills are far greater than mine

The Pals, whose numbers were decimated during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, have never had a permanent memorial in their town. A memorial stone was officially unveiled on Sunday 4th July, 2004 in Church Street gardens in the town centre. The stone honours not just the fallen Pals, but also the Queens's Lancashire Regiment, who were granted the Freedom of the Borough in 2002.

There are also plans in the pipeline to develop the surrounding area, repave and install new gardens.

Darby · 06-07-2004, 14:53

Nice photos Atarah, Thanks to Owd Bert (he's a gud 'un).

I'm quite concerned about the vulnerability of siting of the monument. I can visualise vandals sitting less than a metre away from it. I hope nobody is daft enough to do it any damage as it remains a true memory to all those Accrington Pals, who fought and some who never made it home.

Glad you posted them. Thanks

Weary Tourist · 06-07-2004, 15:20

Grateful thanks to Owd Bert for taking these, and to Atarah for sharing these photos with everyone on the forum.

Nice to see some recognition at last to the Accrington Pals, and those who gave their lives.

Doug · 06-07-2004, 15:25

Excellent job Atarah, Thanks to Owd Bert for the photos. It's good to know that people still care.....

WillowTheWhisp · 06-07-2004, 20:09

Thanks for sharing the photos. We couldn't be there on the day so it's good to see these.

mez · 06-07-2004, 20:58

yes atarah thank owd bert for the photos, tell him from me I MISS HIM, thanks once again ,

b-sound · 13-08-2004, 12:37

Pictures taken 12/08/04.
Serre Village nr Albert, North France.
Three Pics of the memorial & one of the Trench Remains

b-sound · 13-08-2004, 13:19

A few more....
1. Shell Blast damage
2. Railway Hallow Cemetery (Pals)
3. Trench Remains / shell damage
4. Cemetery Sighns (Pals)
5. Shefield Memorial
6. Tribute To Chorley Pals
7. Tribute To Chorley Pals

Eric · 27-03-2007, 00:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-sound

Pictures taken 12/08/04.
Serre Village nr Albert, North France.
Three Pics of the memorial & one of the Trench Remains

The memorials are built of NORIS.
For some of us this is not really "history", in the sense that we are detached from it. We knew our grandfathers. Probably, like mine, they didn't talk much about the war. But they went thro' that **** on the Western Front. We should never forget, nor should we let others forget what they did. Unfortunately, the values they fought for, their love of country, their sense of duty and honor are becoming alien to us. Every man that went over the top on July 1, 1916 was a volunteer, every one a hero. Maybe a little corney sounding, but, as Fitzgerald pointed out in "Tender is the Night" - I will paraphrse liberally - we don't have the balls to do what they did.

Judith Addison · 03-11-2009, 00:28

Hi!
Varlow Addison was my father's first cousin. I have a newspaper cutting about him. My father was John Addison, born 21st June 1913. He was the youngest of five, the others being Joseph, James, Benjamin and Mary. Their father was James Addison, who married Margaret Ellen Birtwell. James, my grandfather, worked at Accrington railway station. The family belonged to St. Andrew's Church, Accrington. My Dad's name is on the scholarship board there. Varlow's father must have been my Grandad's brother. Their father (my Great-Grandfather) was also John Addison. He was a miner and was killed in the Morley Main Pit Disaster. He came from Clayton-le-Moors but had gone to Morley (near Leeds) to look for work.

Retlaw · 03-11-2009, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judith Addison

Hi!
Varlow Addison was my father's first cousin. I have a newspaper cutting about him. My father was John Addison, born 21st June 1913. He was the youngest of five, the others being Joseph, James, Benjamin and Mary. Their father was James Addison, who married Margaret Ellen Birtwell. James, my grandfather, worked at Accrington railway station. The family belonged to St. Andrew's Church, Accrington. My Dad's name is on the scholarship board there. Varlow's father must have been my Grandad's brother. Their father (my Great-Grandfather) was also John Addison. He was a miner and was killed in the Morley Main Pit Disaster. He came from Clayton-le-Moors but had gone to Morley (near Leeds) to look for work.

Is this the newspaper cutting.

Retlaw