News

Clitheroe Castle -Museum -Roll of Honour-Braille Book

Clitheroe Castle -Museum-Roll of Honour and Braille Book

We are delighted to announce that the Roll of Honour and Braille Book are now in the Castle Museum in Clitheroe for public viewing along with organised school groups attending over the next few weeks.

They will then be moved on the 11th November to another part of the Castle as part of the Remembrance Day Service for those attending this to have free access. From here they will then be returned to St Mary's Church, Clitheroe along with arrangements being finalised to collect the World War One Roll of Honour from the Clitheroe Town Hall foyer as this will also be positioned in St Mary's Church, Clitheroe.

Our thanks go to the Lancashire County Museum Services, Castle staff, Clitheroe Town Council, Norman Kelly and our chairman for these arrangements.

Veteran Tom Mason

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We show a photograph of Tom Mason with his recent D Day Campaign medal which we have been able to obtain for him. Tom was in the Royal Navy during WW2 and we hope to put more of his actual war stories on this site. Tom was fortunate enough whilst in America and on a days leave to go to a bar in New York and sat next to Frank Sinatra and his wife. We have also been able to assist Tom with the purchase of a couple of Navy books from his time in the Pacific under various commanders. Tom lives in Bolton by Bowland.

Homeguard -Clitheroe Branch

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We are pleased to announce that we have secured a World War Two Defence Medal for Bernard Blacklock who was in the Clitheroe Homeguard from 1942 until 1945. Bernard was one of the first to be filmed for our project. A presentation has now to be arranged.

Further information to follow.

Presentation & BBC Candlemakers Court

Presentation - Candlemakers Court -Clitheroe & BBC

On Wednesday 13th October a presentation took place at Candlemakers Court, Clitheroe. We were delighted that the Mayor of the Ribble Valley Borough Council, Councillor Mrs Lois Rimmer was able to present medals that we had obtained from the MoD for the following.

Mrs Francis Barlow, Mrs Dorothy Peel, (both for their late husbands William Barlow and Charlie William Peel a sergeant who were in the RAF -ground crews serving in India, Burma and Algiers) Kevin Cheetham ex Prince of Wales Volunteers serving in Cyprus and Aden during the 1960's, Hannah Barnes and family for their late Grandfather wounded in North Africa, our own Roger Leach who's Father served in the Army and a framed photograph collection to our own youth member Maria Hitchen who's Great Grandfather survived the war and was in the 8th Army.

Other residents came to view the proceedings. Our thanks go to Anne Geldard for helping us along with her bosses. Further information and photographs to follow. Refreshments were taken after the proceedings.

On Wednesday 27th October from 12noon until 3.30pm the BBC website team came to talk to representatives of our Youth Group, Veterans and residents from Candlemakers Court. Lunch was provided by the project for those attending and a very social occasion took place whilst recording for the BBC. The BBC then went to record Sam Brearley (Veteran) at his home in Whalley.

We now have photographs of this occasion. Again our thanks go to Anne Geldard at Candlemakers Court and the owners of this fine establishment.

Presentation video

Sad Loss Mrs Kath Brooks

It is with the deepest of regret that we have learned the sad loss of Mrs Kath Brooks. It was only a few months ago that we met Kath at her home following her phone call to our Chairman Mel Diack wanting to meet him and discuss her late brother Stanley Smith Pollard who was 19 and serving in the Royal Navy when killed in 1945. During this meeting Kath explained that she and her family had never received any medals following her brother's loss. This was taken on board as a matter of urgency and after the various documents and relevant information was put together this was duly sent to the MOD. Kath rang Mel several weeks later confirming that the MOD had confirmed that no medals had ever been sent and they were on the way to Kath.

A Church service and medal presentation took place at St Mary's Church a few weeks ago with these medals being presented to Kath and her sister Marjorie.

A funeral ceremony took place at St Mary's Church, Clitheroe on Monday 11th October at 2pm and our Chairman Mel Diack attended representing the Clitheroe Youth Forum at the service. Kath is now at rest in the Clitheroe Cemetery, Brungeley.

Kath and her sister were so happy to obtain the medals and it was an honour to have got these for them. We hope to present her family with a film of the medal presentation that took place at St Mary's Church a short while ago.

Our heartfelt sympathy goes to Kath's family.

Clitheroe Youth Forum.

Sam Brearley and Noah Scott

Greek Medal

We have now obtained Sam Brearley's Greek medal and this will be presented on Friday 4th November at the Council Civic Chambers at 2pm by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dennis Mondoros. Our thanks also go to Councillor Mrs Lois Rimmer who was the Ribble Valley Borough Council Mayor during 2010. We are also trying to obtain Noah Scott's Father Greek medal as Norman Scott was also captured in Kalamata, Greece in April 1941. Lance Corporal Norman Scott who has now passed away was in the Coldstream Guards as a Military Policeman. Sam and Norman were in the same PoW Camp to begin with at Marburg on the Yugoslav border. Sam's PoW number was 5925 and Norman Scott's was 5924. Sam was then moved after a serious injury to his leg to several other camps and the two never met up again until back home in Bacup in 1945.

At some point we hope to give more information on Sam Brearley our oldest veteran who will be 99 this December.