Remembrance 2024

For Remembrance Day 2024, there were Acts of Worship for the whole school.

During the Acts of Worship, we heard about fallen Balshavian’s who lost their lives in the first or second world wars. A team of students accompanied Dr Breen to the Lancashire County Archives on Friday 1st November to research this information and you can read and see more about their visit below:

 

1 Chloe:

On All Saints’ Day on the 1^st November, we went with Dr Breen to the Lancashire Archive to gather more information on the history of some Balshavians who served and died in the two world wars, and whose names we remember and sacrifices we honour with our acts of Remembrance. We were able to look at student admission registers for Balshaw’s from the early twentieth century, class form lists and used the website “Ancestry” to look at census and military records as well as the Commonwealth war grave commission which enabled us to cross reference the records to get a full picture of our Balshavians.

We had great difficulties researching our William Rigby because there were 9 William Rigby’s from this area alone! We will carry on looking for him but today we will pray for them all.

2. Will:

Unlike William Rigby there was only one Matthew Whittaker and we found out that he died in the Battle of the Somme on September 26^th 1916. He lived in Chorley and is commemorated at the cemetery there.

William Southworth. AKA Willie Southworth, was born on the 1^st January, 1896 in Longton but later lived in Farington but moved with his mum, Edith, and dad, Richard Southworth, to Rossington, Edmonton, Alberta in Canada some time before 1911. He had 6 siblings: four brothers and two sisters.  He joined the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders of Canada), but He Died on the 27^th November 1916, aged just 20 and is buried at Villers Station Cemetery, Pas de Calais, in France.

Percy Wignall was more difficult to find. This was because Percy is short for Percival and we discovered that Percy was more than likely his middle name! Gunner Thomas (Percy) Wignall. The Son of James and Elizabeth Wignall and husband of Maria Bretherton (formerly Wignall), lived at 7, Wheelton View, Leyland Lane, Leyland, Preston. He joined the 250th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. He Died on the 11^th December 1917 Aeroplane Cemetery in Belgium aged just 24.

3. Isabel:

Frank Waring was born in 1891 in Chorley. His mum was Harriet Plane and his dad was Henry Booth Waring. He married at some point before the First World War broke out maybe even because he was joining up and we know this because he had a daughter. Lily.

He was a Lieutenant in the 5^th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment but he sadly died…Aged 25…

On the 24^th August 1916.

We know he got married and had a daughter because – while we couldn’t find Frank in the Balshaw’s records in the archive, we found his daughter who arrived at Balshaw’s in 1925. This admission book shows “Father” crossed out and Mrs Waring as parent of Lily Waring who was born on the 3^rd February 1915 and under “Occupation of Father” it reads: “Soldier killed in the war” …

“Mother Cotton Weaver” living at 5, Hope Terrace here in Leyland…

Given that war broke out across Europe in July 1914 and Britain joined in August 1914, we know that Lily probably never met her father.

I hope she was proud, however, to follow in her father’s footsteps at Balshaw’s and took strength from the fact that his name was remembered on the plaque and the Roll of Honour every year both when she was here… and now as his sacrifice continues to be commemorated.

4. Will:

We already had quite a bit of information from our Balshavian Magazines published during WWII which commemorated the fallen, but the Year 7 archivists got LOTS of extra information from the Archive to add to our knowledge.

Charles Frederick Dugdale, son of Fred and Olive Dugdale, was born on the 18th of September 1920 and lived at 13 Leyland Road in Penwortham. He came to Balshaw’s and was a member of Clayton house. Known as “Charlie,” He was remembered as a cheerful, happy boy with curly hair and a fresh complexion. He married Ivy and lived at Swiss Cottage in London. He went on to become an RAF airman who served in the East, against the Japanese. He flew B24 liberator bombers in an effort to destroy the enemy war effort. He was highly decorated, winning the 1939 – 1945 Star, the Africa Star and the War Medal of 1939 – 1945. He died on the 6th of April 1944 when he was killed in action due to a flying accident in China during a period of severe weather.

5. Erika:

Francis William Shepherd was the son of Thomas Albert and Mary Louisa Shepherd. He later in life married Margret Mary Thacker. Francis Shepherd attended Balshaw’s High school apart of Cuerden house and took a liking to cricket and rugby. He had many sporting friends. Fair headed, always smiling, younger brother of Roland Shepherd, one-time head boy. For punishment he was given hundreds of lines. And it is rumoured that the girls used to write them for him. He then joined the R.A.F. at the start of the war. He served at Dunkirk and The Battle of Britain. He was a flying officer. Francis was killed on the 27th of July 1944 by being shot down by a night fighter.

6. Clarisse:

John Wilkinson was born in 1920 and lived in Broughton near Fulwood. His father owned a mineral water business, hence John gained the nickname “Pop”. His older brother was Ellis and his younger sister was Betty who were also both pupils at Balsaw’s. He was a member of Clayton House from 1931-1936 and excelled in practical engineering as opposed to the academic aspects of learning. He was also a keen athlete, running the 220 yard dash and the high jump for his house in the Athletic Sports day in 1935. In the war, he served in the Royal Artillery as a Bombardier, and was rescued from the beeches at Dunkirk in 1940. He was afterwards deployed to the East, where he was captured and held in a prisoner of war camp in Thailand where due the horrendous treatment and conditions he died on the 18^th July, 1945.

7. May:

Frank Valentine was our last Balshavian to be killed in WWII whilst on an active service with the RAF. He is described by those who knew him as a ‘cheerful youngster’, who always played an active role in life here at Balshaws’. In fact, he was chosen to be the school play’s star comedy actor, a decision that did not come as a surprise to his classmates. During his time training in Canada, his cheerfulness won him many friends, and the kindness of his character was spoken highly of by those who knew him. He is buried in Becklingen war cemetery in Germany. I will now hand over to Wes and Ewan who will read the names of the Balshaws’ fallen.