History of the Memorial
On 14 May 1918 Alexander Eccles made a legal agreement giving his consent to the erection of a war memorial on a piece of land he owned in the civil parish of Myerscough known as Wharf Field, located between the Lancaster Canal and the A6, opposite Bilsborrow John Cross CE Primary School. To quote from the original indenture it was erected by means of contributions and subscriptions from residents in the townships of Myerscough, Bilsborrow and Barton in memory of the men of the said townships who fell in the Great War.
The memorial is a column of Longridge stone, surmounted by a cross, with four steps at the base. The names of the men who died are carved into panels of Lakeland slate along with the names of eighty-five men from the community who also served and survived to return home. The name of Private John Nugent was unfortunately missed off the slate panel, so his name was carved directly into the stone. Finally trees were planted behind the structure. It cost £270 and was erected by Messrs T Hodgkinson and Sons.
Alexander Eccles died on 17 March 1919. He was a bachelor and had named Thomas Eccles as his heir and Joseph Eccles as his representative, to whom probate was granted on 18 June 1919.
Thomas, who lived at Coker Court, near Yeovil, Somerset, and Joseph who lived at Bilsborrow Hall, Bilsborrow, wanted to carry out Alexander’s intention which was to give the land, on which the memorial stood, to the parish council.
An indenture was signed on 30 June 1924 between Thomas and Joseph Eccles and Myerscough Parish Council.
The land was 267 square yards or thereabouts being part of Wharf Field.
Unveiling & Dedication
The ceremony took place on 18 August 1921. The National Anthem was sung followed by the hymn O God our help in ages past. An address was given by the local member of parliament, General Sir Archibald Hunter GCB, GCVO, DSO, MP who then unveiled the memorial. On it were listed the names of fourteen men who died in the Great War and the names of eighty-five men from the parish who also served and survived to return home.
The Venerable Archdeacon P J Hornby of Lancaster gave the dedication followed by prayers and the hymn Lead kindly light and a benediction. Finally a detachment from The King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) fired a salute of three volleys and two buglers sounded the Last Post and Reveille.
Following the Second World War the names of nine men from the locality who had died on active service were added on a separate panel of Lakeland slate which was set into the stone alongside the others.
Image © Copyright
Managing Trustees & Keepers
Day-to-day upkeep and general maintenance of the Memorial is delegated by Myerscough & Bilsborrow Parish Council to ex-officio Managing Trustees, comprising two Councillors from Barton Parish Council, two Councillors from Myerscough & Bilsborrow Parish Council and a Chairman nominated by the Trustees at their Annual Meeting, presently Dr J Barry Johnson DL. Mrs Gill Billington, Clerk to the Trustees, provides the clerkship. To help ensure that the work is maintained to the highest standard, in keeping with the Memorial's status, the Trustees enlist the help of Keepers from local volunteers.
Annual Civic Remembrance Service Armistice Day
There is an Annual Civic Remembrance Service, in the grounds of the Memorial, on a date announced in the Garstang Courier. This is usually Armistice Day, at 11am.
Image by Dave Salmon, Myerscough College.
Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition
Thanks to the dedication of a small band of volunteers the memorial has often been highly commended in the War Memorials Class of Lancashire's Best Kept Village Competition and was County Champion in 2001.
2003 Heritage Project
In September 2003, with the financial support of Local Heritage Initiative, Myerscough & Bilsborrow Parish Council entered into a heritage project. The project involved research into the biographies and military campaigns of the Great War and Second World War fallen by a community team including the children of the primary schools within the parish, and. a major remodelling of the Memorial grounds to provide better access and to accommodate the presentation of core biographical particulars of the fallen. The remodelling works were generously designed by landscape architects Alan and Valerie Shaw of Churchtown. The climax of the project was a Festival of Remembrance in Preston Minster, performed to full houses in the afternoon and evening of 10 July 2004. The children of the parish primary schools played a major part in the Festival.
2010 Landscaping Works
The 2010 landscaping project saw the felling of four disfigured leylandii trees and their replacement by a nineteen-piece yew hedge on a semi-circular stone-fronted, craftsman built, raised platform. The main contractor was Marsdens Building and Maintenance Contractors Ltd and the tree works were carried out by Myerscough College arboriculture undergraduates as an act of charity. The County Council, District Council and the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund made contributions towards the cost, as did Marsdens. Alan and Valerie Shaw generously designed the scheme. With further financial assistance from the County Council and anonymous donations the project was made whole by the provision of a high quality information display case to Mr & Mrs Shaw's specification.
In 2015 it was arranged that the railings be taken down from the wall around the grounds of the Memorial and that the wall be re-pointed by J Robinson Building Contractors Limited of Claughton-on-Brock. The scheme was kindly designed by Mr & Mrs Shaw and funded by generous donations. A brass nameplate was provided at the entry point to the grounds out of the proceeds of the sale of the redundant railings.
The Fallen
The Great War
Private 1st Class Henry Almond Royal Air Force (Lee-on-the-Solent) and formerly Royal Naval Air Service, born in Preston, son of Henry Almond and Alice Almond, died from illness 15 November 1918 aged 30 years, buried at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Churchyard, Newhouse, Barton
Private Joseph Barker 2nd/4th Battalion Territorial Force, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, son of William Robert Barker and Mary Barker of Myerscough, killed in action 2 July 1917 aged 23 years, buried at Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, France
Private William Bateson 6th (Service) Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment, son of Roger Kenyon Bateson and Dorothy Bateson of Brock, died of wounds 21 April 1916 aged 21 years, buried at Basra War Cemetery, Mesopotamia
Private Robert Berry Of Myerscough, 1st Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers, son of Abraham Berry, killed in action 1 October 1918 aged 25 years, commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial, Passchendaele, Belgium
Lance Serjeant Thomas Bryce Royal Army Pay Corps and formerly 5th (Service) Battalion, The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, son of Thomas Bryce of Bilsborough, husband of Winifred Bryce, died by his own hand during a fit of temporary insanity 10 January 1921 aged 27 years, buried at St Lawrence’s Churchyard, Barton
Lieutenant Edgar Joseph Austin Carr Of Hepgreave, 1st/5th Battalion Territorial Force, The King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, husband of Winifred Alice Mary Carr, died of wounds 18 May 1915 aged 41 years, buried at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, London
Private Charles Catterall 1st Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, son of Robert Catterall and Elizabeth Catterall of Catforth, killed in action 26 September 1916 aged 26 years, buried at Warlencourt British Cemetery, Bapaume, France
Private Walter Helmn Of Eaves, 10th (Service) Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, son of Thomas Helmn and Emma Helmn, died of wounds 6 May 1917 aged 24 years, buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, France
Gunner Harold Robert Hesketh Of White Horse Village, 223rd Brigade Territorial Force, Royal Field Artillery, husband of Annie Hesketh, killed in action 23 March 1918 aged 23 years, commemorated on Arras Memorial, France
Sylvester Horn Chief Engineer, SS Aylevarroo (Limerick), Mercantile Marine, born in Myerscough, husband of Mary Angela Horn, perished 7 October 1917 aged 43 years when Aylevarroo was torpedoed, commemorated on Tower Hill Memorial, London
Private Ernest Howard Moulden 1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), son of Thomas Alfred Moulden and Emily Kate Moulden of Fairhaven, killed in action 3 September 1916 aged 25 years, commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Albert, France
Private John Nugent 7th/8th Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers, son of John Nugent and Margaret Ellen Nugent of Brock, died of wounds 31 October 1917 aged 19 years, buried at St Thomas' Roman Catholic Churchyard, Claughton
Captain George Leonard Parker 2nd Battalion, The Essex Regiment and formerly 7th (Service) Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, son of Thomas Parker and Mary Parker of Mawdesley, killed in action 1 September 1918 aged 23 years, buried at Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, France
Private Alan Rounds 16th (Reserve) Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment), born in Fulwood, son of Reverend Edward Storment Rounds and Anna Mary Rounds, died from illness 21 March 1916 aged 19 years, buried at St Lawrence's Churchyard, Barton
Captain Charles Vernon Martin Simpson 1st/5th Battalion Territorial Force, The King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, son of Isaac Simpson JP and Emily Eddleston Simpson of Brock, killed in action 31 July 1917 aged 25 years, buried at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium
Pioneer Harold Wareing No. 5 (Mortar) Battalion, Corps of Royal Engineers, son of Thomas Wareing and Isabella Wareing of Barton, died from illness 16 December 1918 aged 24 years, buried at Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France
Private Thomas Wilkinson 2nd Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders, son of James Wilkinson and Caroline Wilkinson of Myerscough, died of wounds 24 July 1916 aged 24 years, buried at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L'Abbe, France
Rifleman Thomas Winstanley 2nd Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, son of John Winstanley and Maria Winstanley of Weeton, died of wounds 23 July 1916 aged 21 years, commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Albert, France
The Second World War
Second Lieutenant Ernest Sidney Bailey 2nd Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment, Lancaster, son of Edgar Samuel Bailey and Dorothy Bailey of Fulwood, killed in action 11 July 1941 aged 24 years, buried at Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery and commemorated in Bilsborrow Parish Church where the 5th bell was placed in the tower in his memory
Private Percy Brown 1st Battalion, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), son of Thomas George Brown and Beatrice Louise Brown of Woodplumpton, killed in action 8 February 1944 aged 27 years, buried at Anzio War Cemetery, Italy
Gunner Robert Cookson 23rd Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Artillery, son of Robert Cookson and Alice Cookson of Myerscough, died of wounds 14 December 1944 aged 22 years, buried at Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, Riccione, Italy, and commemorated in Bilsborrow Parish Church where the 2nd bell was placed in the tower in his memory and in memory of Ordinary Seaman Samuel Alexander North
Private Frank Eccles 4th Battalion (Infantry Training Centre), The Durham Light Infantry, son of Thomas Eccles and Annie Eccles of Barton, accidental death while on leave 12 May 1940 aged 20 years, buried at St Lawrence’s Churchyard, Barton
Sergeant William Percival Marshall No. 20 Service Flying Training School, Rhodesia Air Training Group, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, son of Robert Marshall and Emma Elizabeth Marshall of Barton, killed in air accident 7 July 1942 aged 21 years, buried at Salisbury Cemetery, Rhodesia
Lieutenant Halliwell Sutcliffe Moss 137th Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Artillery, son of Major the Reverend John Moss TD SCF and Alice Moss of Bilsborrow, died on active service 16 July 1942 aged 23 years, buried at Kuala Lumpur (Cheras Road) Civil Cemetery, Malaya
Gunner John Roger Stuart Moss 88th Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Artillery, husband of Peggy Moss, son of Major the Reverend John Moss TD SCF and Alice Moss of Bilsborrow, died on active service 20 June 1943 aged 27 years, buried at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Siam
Ordinary Seaman Samuel Alexander North HMS Repulse, Royal Navy, son of Robert William North and Mary Ethel North of Preston, killed in action 10 December 1941 aged 18 years, commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial and in Bilsborrow Parish Church where the 2nd bell was placed in the tower in his memory and in memory of Gunner Robert Cookson
Squadron Leader John Rawsthorn Rainford DFC & Bar No. 83 Squadron, Royal Air Force, husband of Beryl Thirza Rainford, son of Thomas Clarkson Rainford JP and Ann Rainford JP of Brock, killed in action 22 February 1942 aged 28 years, buried at Sola Churchyard, Stavanger, Norway
Private Jack Southward 2nd Battalion, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), son of George Cowell Southward and May Aileen Southward of Barton, died on active service 15 September 1943 aged 24 years, buried at Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, Burma
Private William Wallbank 1st (Airborne) Battalion, The Border Regiment, son of William Wallbank and Ellen Wallbank of Barton, killed in action 9 July 1943 aged 23 years, commemorated on Cassino Memorial, Italy.