When pupils and teachers decided to restore Bedford High School’s war memorial plaque they created a unique gateway into their own history.
The plaque commemorates over a hundred young men from what was then Leigh Boys’ Grammar School who fought and died for their country in two world wars. And now, in time for Holocaust Memorial Day, the brass and woodwork have been carefully restored thanks to the efforts of the school and Mrs Joan Tickle of the Manchester Road Residents’ Association.
Teacher Helen Ball explains: “The plaque is a very powerful reminder of the contribution of this community to defending the values of our nation. Each name was someone from our area and the pupils have researched many of them to learn what they did.”
Students Joseph Dewhurst, Catherine Ashton and Gemma Johns discussed their project with Leigh South councillor Kevin Anderson. Together with his ward colleagues Cllrs John O’Brien and Charles Rigby, he has contributed to the cost of the restoration through Brighter Borough funds.
Cllr Anderson said: “We are right to honour those who died to protect our freedom and I am proud to support the work of Bedford High in maintaining the memory of these brave men.”
Joseph, Catherine and Gemma told Cllr Anderson some of the soldiers’ stories. Gemma had researched Private Alfred Wilkinson. “He was awarded the Victoria Cross for a daring mission across no man’s land in the First World War,” she said. “Private Wilkinson survived the trenches but just after he’d signed up for the Second World War over 20 years later, he was killed in a colliery accident.”
Holocaust Memorial Day is commemorated every January to mark the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. The theme this year is Speak Up, Speak Out and asks everyone to consider the rights and responsibilities they have to say something about injustice and wrong-doing.
Bedford pupils have been actively involved in remembering all victims of war, creating a video about their research in association with the Wigan Heritage Network, and attending several of the borough’s November Remembrance Parades.
Remembering the past: Cllr Anderson with pupils Joseph, Catherine and Gemma and Mrs Helen Ball of Bedford High School. Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations in the borough have been organised by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust and Wigan Council. In Wigan there will be a ceremony of reading and reflection at Sacred Heart School whilst Mayor of Wigan Cllr Joy Birch will read a Statement of Commitment in honour and recognition of those who lost their lives.
- The school is keen to hear from anyone who may know of former pupils who fought or died in conflict – email to enquiries@admin.bedford.wigan.sch.uk with a clearly marked subject header ‘War Memorial’.
1914-1918
Harry Beattie, Benjamin Blakelock, Harry L Brown, Percy J Bryce, William H Cripps, Joseph Flitcroft, Richard B France, Percy Gerrard, James W Gibson, George W Glover, John Glover, George B Gregory, Charles H T Guest, Basil C Hall, Robert Higgin, William E Hill, Vernon Hinchliffe, Hubert G Holt, James K Hunter, Thomas Kemp, James S Lomax, Hector A L MacLennan, Clarence W C Madden, Charles F Milnes, Frank Naylor, George C Owen, Sydney G Owen, Alexander J Platt, Alec F E Prescott, Alfred Prescott, Fred S Prescott, Sydney E Ratcliffe, Fred Reade, Joseph Schola, Henry Seddon, William Smith, Fred Spencer, John Stafford, Reginald N Trafford, James Warburton, Philip Ward, George Williams, Albert Yates.
1939-1945
John Almond, John C Arrowsmith, Harry Aspinall, William F Aspinall, Charles Bate, Henry Bentham, Stanley Birchall, Frank Brindle, John Clarke, William E Clegg, J Henry Coe, George W Cook, Thomas Dickinson, Owen Dootson, Albert Dunn, Thomas Dunster, Harry Eckersley, Oswald R Edge, G Eric Edwards, Norman D Fairclough, Peter Gatley, Granville Graham, Arthur J Green, John F Green, Leslie Greenhalgh, Thomas J Gregory, Eric Grundy, Frank Hall, T Kenneth Halliwell, Claude W Hamilton, J Douglas Hampson, Norman Hannah, Jack E Harrison, Frank Higham, Ronald Hilton, James Hindley, Donald H Hodge, Fred Hodge, Frederick Hodson, T Malcolm Irving, Donald Jagger, Bernard R Johnson, John Jury, Brian Lee, Geoffrey Lowe, Fred Mann, Jack McCrirrick, Joseph McDowell, Harold Meadows, Joseph Miles, Eric T R Millington, Albion R Mitchell, Daniel Morrison, William Morton, Arnold Oakes, Sam Parr, James Roberts, Gordon Smith, T Haig Smith, William B Smith, Frank Stones, John T Taylor, James M Thorpe, Esmond F Towler, Bernard Wallwork, Alfred Wilkinson, Arnold Wood, Eldred Yates.
