Salute The Soldier Week

At the end of WWII the villagers decided to hold a “Salute the Soldier Week”. A committee was set up and their aim was to raise enough money to build a war memorial to remember those who had died fighting for their country. Various fundraising activities were organised between June 3rd and 10th in 1944 and their initial target was £2000 with a total fund raised of four thousand nine hundred and seventy nine pounds fifteen shillings (£4979-15s-0d).

Before commissioning a memorial to be built the names which would be engraved on it were researched. At that time it was discovered that no-one from the village had died fighting during WWII. With almost £5000 in the fund it was debated on how else the village could benefit and it was decided to put the money towards the building of the Village Hall. Miss Nora Watson (who was a Committee member and appears on the above photograph) donated the land and other groups also helped with the fundraising.

The photograph above shows all the members of the committee, a couple of whom still live in the village today (and some whose names live on through their good works) and a few whose families have stayed local. Please note that number 3 is a ‘dummy’ soldier used to promote the week. The photograph was taken outside the village shop on The Green and was courtesy of Peter Crompton whose Mother, Dorothy Kirton who was about 17 year old at the time, represented one of the youth groups and is pictured on the extreme right (back row).

1. Miss Beaumont
2. Mrs Northcott
3. Soldier (dummy)
4. Mrs Herbert Proudley (Peggy Florence)
5. Mr Herbert Proudley
6. Mr Jack Fox (Wood Lane)
7. Jack Searson
8. ??
9. Mr Smithson (senior)
10. Miss Dorothy Kirton
11. Connie Southwell
12. Rose Loker
13. Miss Ingall
14. Mrs Johnson
15. Mrs Horbury
16. Miss Norah Watson
17. Margaret Atkinson (nee Lamb)
18. Mr Les Selby (Hall, Church Lane/Low Street)

19. Shirley Wilson (nee Madin)
20. Mrs Alvey
21. Mrs Ellis
22. Margaret Gill or Sheila Kemp
23. Mr Ellis
24. Pam Levick
25. Mary Shuttleworth
26. Mrs Tuplin
27. Mrs Flossie Madin
28. Rev Steed (Vicar)
29. Sgt Richie
30. Mr Linegar (School Headteacher)
31. Len Searson
32. Mr Tuplin
33. Mrs Mary Gill
34. Mrs Dorothy Brumby (Doll)
35. Mr Bill Wallhead (Jessie Wallhead’s brother)
36. Miss Molly Beaumont