We Must Remember Them

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them"

This line comes from the middle stanza of the poem “For the Fallen” by Lancashire-born poet Laurence Binyon. The whole of this middle verse is traditionally recited as part of Remembrance Day services throughout the United Kingdom. I myself have a big connection with Lancashire, my father was born in Farnworth near Bolton, one of four children whose father (my grandfather) was a miner at Lord Levers' colliery. The town of Farnworth was then a prosperous industrial town with cotton mills, foundries and mining employing the whole town, but in the Great War the menfolk of Farnworth were encouraged to join the local army unit The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, many of them never to return to the mill or the pit.

My Grandfather was just a young man not yet twenty when he took up the colours in 1914 and his service record for 1914-15 simply says "Theatre of War-Balkans". He often mentioned the Dardanelles which are the straits between Europe and Asian Turkey, it's also where you'll find Gallipoli, there in 1915 he was wounded in the back by shell fragments and by two bullets in his legs but after recovery resumed his service with the regiment. Known to all simply as Alec, Alexander Newsham also spoke of his service in France and Belgium, Ypres, Arras, Vimy Ridge, Passchendale, The Somme, Messines. All places you've heard of and in fact the regiment served in virtually every theatre of the war, so we know he saw some terrible things, things that prevented him from sleeping some nights. His cousin Joseph was killed on 23 July 1916 on The Somme near Thiepval, his body was never identified but his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and no doubt lays in one of the thousands of un-named graves marked "A Soldier of The Great War".

The whole area of The Somme is dotted with cemetaries and memorials to the fallen, from 1st July to 18th November 1916 over a million men became casualties in the long and bitter struggle on the Somme. The offensive cost Britain and the Empire 419,654 casualties, 125,000 of them dead. The advance was spread along a thirty mile front but became a bloody stalemate in appaling conditions once the summer went into Autumn the rain came and so did the awful mud.

In Britain the impact of the losses was severe, particularly in the north of England where many of the pals regiments were formed, whole streets and places of work joined up as one and died almost as one. I cannot even begin to imagine the horror of those conditions but these men accepted their lot and carried on with their duties, though they would have been scared witless by the shelling and the forays into enemy held territory. Three more years of conflict ensued and nearing the end of the war Alecs unit were at the second battle of Kemmel Hill in April 1918 where the German forces counter attacked and succeeded in capturing part of the high ground. As sergeant he took charge of the company when all the officers were killed and with his leadership and bravery his troops held on to their position for four days before relief got to them. For his actions Alec received the Military Medal. I am proud, honoured and extremely thankful that I knew my grandfather for a few precious years when so many lost family members in the Great War.

Alec died in 1974, he never could forget the horrors of the war, all those friends he saw die or horribly mutilated. For me and my family he lives on, on his return from war he was presented with a beautiful gold fob pocket watch by the very grateful Guild and Townsfolk of Bolton, we have the newspaper cuttings to read and I am researching the regimental diaries, we were lucky that he returned from war, he was wounded three or four times (we're not sure) and as the Bolton Evening News described "survived many hairbreadth escapes in the field".

As we all know many thousands failed to return from "the war to end all wars" along with thousands more in the second world war and down the years. Please wear your poppy with pride this week and take the time on Sunday and next Tuesday at 11.00 to be silent and remember the fallen from all conflicts including the present.

“They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.”