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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Astley Bridge Breightmet


michaelpcoyle

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Outside the Astley Bridge Royal British Legion is a broken memorial, a stepped hexagonal pillar which probably had a cross on the top. Its inscription reads 'To the Glory of God and in ever grateful memory of the men of this church who for truth and liberty laid down their lives in the Great War 1914 1918 1939 1945' Their are 7 WW1 names:

H E Halliwell

Jesse Hayes

Jos A Brooks

WFD Pilling

W Cartwright

BJN Cain

Pcy Cain

and 1 WW2 Name:

Frederick Wood

A check of the names suggests a Breightmet connection. Anyone got got any ideas where it might have come from?

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Well, Geoff shows 59 casualties in CWGC with Astley Bridge connections, and only Pilling of those corresponds with the Memorial in the front garden of the RBL Club.

Name: PILLING

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Regiment/Service: Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Unit Text: 3rd Bn. attd. 2nd Bn.

Age: 24

Date of Death: 22/10/1918

Awards: M C

Additional information: Son of Albert and Nancy Pilling, of 23, Holly St., Astley Bridge, Bolton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: S. V. J. 4.

Cemetery: ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN

Name: CAIN, PERCY

Initials: P

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Driver

Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery

Unit Text: "B" Bty. 101st Bde.

Age: 19

Date of Death: 19/09/1917

Service No: 710789

Additional information: Son of William and Mary Elizabeth, Cain, of 496, Bury Rd., Bolton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: D. 553.

Cemetery: SARIGOL MILITARY CEMETERY, KRISTON

This is the only BJ Cain I traced, but not a brother of the above, if it's the right man...

Name: CAIN, BENJAMIN JOHN

Initials: B J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: The King's (Liverpool Regiment)

Unit Text: 1st/7th Bn.

Age: 34

Date of Death: 16/05/1915

Service No: 3129

Additional information: Son of the late Benjamin Cain, J.P. and Charlotte Cain, of Trelawne, Formby, Lancs.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panels 6 to 8.

Memorial: LE TOURET MEMORIAL

Obvious question: Why not ask them? Call 01204 51045 and ask the Club Secretary....

It's not the Town Memorial as it refers to "the men of this Church".

So perhaps a Church nearby has been de consecrated and the RBL took over the Memorial?

For WW2, there are 36 Astley Bridge casualties, including John (not Frederick) Wood....

Name: WOOD, JOHN

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Joiner 4th Class

Regiment/Service: Royal Navy

Unit Text: H.M.S. Laforey

Age: 30

Date of Death: 30/03/1944

Service No: D/MX 74966

Additional information: Son of Jack and Edith Wood, of Bolton, Lancashire; husband of Mary E. Wood, of Astley Bridge, Bolton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 90, Column 3.

Memorial: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Hopefully, these addresses may be near to a de-consecrated Church!!

Astley_Bridge_CWGC_RoH_WW1.doc

Astley_Bridge_CWGC_RoH_WW2.doc

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Percy Cain born and enlisted Bolton; Joseph Armstrong Brooks 201296 enlisted Bolton. Ralph.

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William Pilling was one of the original Bolton enlistees into the 15th Welsh. He was commissioned from them into the RWF on 27 March 1917, after having fought at Mametz Wood.

SteveJ.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

I have a BWM,VM and Memorial Scroll plus photographs, letters, etc., to 2/Lt John Lomax, DCLI att'd 1/6th Royal Warwicks, who was killed in action on 18/8/16 having only been in France for some 7 weeks.

All my research and some original paperwork show that he was the son of Jacob and Mary Elizabeth Lomax, of Willow Bank, Astley Bridge, Bolton, Lancs.

He was born and lived in Bolton until he finished his education at the Astley Bridge Commercial School. The family are shown at Ivy Bank, AstleyBridge on the 1901 census and the original envelope dated 24/8/16, containing the letter from his C.O. advising his mother that he had been killed is addressed to her at Willow Bank, Astley Bridge.

I hope that this adds another name to the memorial although I see that there already is a J.Lomax given as Pte Lancs.Fus.? Same man wrong details?

Hope this is of some use.

Robert

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Name: LOMAX, JOSEPH

oldowl: This was the J Lomax on CWGC records with an Astley Bridge connection.

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment/Service: Lancashire Fusiliers

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Age: 29

Date of Death: 25/04/1915

Service No: 841

Additional information: Son of John Edward and Mary Ellen Lomax, of 22, Almond St., Astley Bridge, Bolton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 58 to 72 or 218 to 219.

Memorial: HELLES MEMORIAL

I see no reason why "your" chap shouldn't also be commemorated, however, this specific Memorial is "dedicated to the adherents of this Church" which means someone needs to find out which Church it referes to. I did give contact details for the RBL Club, but it doesn't look as if anyone could be bothered to call them for any further information.

Now with two J Lomax, surely the answer lies with the RBL Club as to which Church it was from. Hopefully, that may give a geographic location in orderto decide which J Lomax it might be.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thanks to all and thanks to the Bolton Evening News. readers identified the Astley Bridge RBL Memorial as Breightment URC. The memorial cross was moved to the RBL Astley Bridge for safe keeping when the church site was redeveloped. fantastic work of GWF subscribers as usual. Many many thanks. Mike

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  • 1 month later...

Hello to all near Breightmet. Does anybody know more about William Lewis 75991, buried in St. James Churchyard; son of Thomas and Alice Lewis, of 579, Bury Road, Breightmet, Bolton.

Peter in B.C.

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Hello to all near Breightmet. Does anybody know more about William Lewis 75991, buried in St. James Churchyard; son of Thomas and Alice Lewis, of 579, Bury Road, Breightmet, Bolton.

Peter in B.C.

Hi,

I don't know anything about him, but I do live relatively close by if you would like a picture taken.

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  • 3 weeks later...

A public note of appreciation to Mr. HG for taking some great photos for me. Thanks from British Columbia!

Peter

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A public note of appreciation to Mr. HG for taking some great photos for me. Thanks from British Columbia!

Peter

Thank you. If anyone wants any pics taken from anywhere in the Bolton, Bury, Rochdale area please let me know.

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  • 2 years later...

Getting back to the original Request for info about the Breightmet URC Memorial, The memorial has been rescued, relocated and rebuilt at Red Lane URC Bolton and I'm grateful to all concerned in research and the physical moving and rebuilding, as well as the provision of a home by the church. Well done and thanks to all. Mike

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