In The News! Over the past few weeks, the media has been reporting on two significant events in the Nation s recent history.

Transcription

1 N E W S L E T T E R 3 7 A U G U S T In The News! I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Dunkirk 2 Drum Ervine- 2 Andrews VC The Friends 3 Future 4 Events Medal 4 Search Heritage 5 Open Day Group 6 Bookings Contact Us! 6 Over the past few weeks, the media has been reporting on two significant events in the Nation s recent history. The 31st July was the 100th anniversary of the beginning of Third Ypres or Passchendaele as it is better known. The offensive went on to last for three months and involved 26 Battalions of our antecedent Regiments. Eventually Passchendaele Ridge was taken with 162,769 British casualties and 255,000 German. It was a costly British victory. Inside the church at Passchendaele is a memorial window to the men of the 66th Division with the names and shields of many Lancashire towns including Accrington, Bolton and Blackburn. 66th Division Window Unsurprisingly there has been a great deal of interest generated in WW1 and the museum has been happy to help many families discover details about their relatives who served during this campaign. The Lancashire Infantry Museum holds many original diaries, letters, trench maps and other archival material relating to WW1. Everyone is welcome to view the material. If you are interested please contact the Curatorial staff (details on the back page) to arrange an appointment. The other event garnering national coverage is Dunkirk. With the release of Christopher Nolan s film about the epic evacuation of over 300,000 Allied soldiers from the French coast, the museum s media officer, Roger Goodwin has been busy telling Captain N Swift MC, 2 ELANR, the story of Ervine- Andrews VC and the Dunkirk Drum. Continued on page 2.

2 P A G E 2 Dunkirk Drum Located in the Somme Room of the Lancashire Infantry Museum is a Side Drum left behind at Lennoy in June 1940 by the 1st Loyals during their withdrawal from France. The Side Drum was later re-captured from the SS Marine and Panzer Grenadier Guards at Newstadt by the Commando Signal Troop, 1 st Commando Brigade. Through the kindness of Major H. Bates the drum was returned to the Regiment on the 28 th August It was received into the safe keeping of the museum by Major E.F. Cunningham. Sergeants A.E. Johannensen and F.W. Foster of the Commandos made the presentation (pictured left). The Troop Officer at the time of the taking of Newstadt was Captain F. Cox. Dunkirk Ervine-Andrews VC In 1940 Harold Marcus Ervine- Andrews was 28 and a Captain commanding a company of the 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, when he won the British Army s first VC of WW2. On the night of the 31st May/1st June, 1940, he and his men were ordered to take over about a 1000 yards of the defences in front of Dunkirk, along the line of the Canal de Bergues. The enemy attacked at dawn. For over ten hours withstanding intense fire, and in the face of vastly superior enemy forces, Ervine- Andrews and his men held their position. In danger of being outflanked, Ervine- Andrews asked for volunteers to plug the gap in the line. He climbed on to the top of a barn, from which he engaged the enemy with rifle and light automatic fire. Later, when all the ammunition had been expended, he sent back his wounded in the last carrier. Ervine-Andrews then collected the remaining 8 men of his company and, when almost surrounded, led them back to the rear, swimming or wading up to the chin in water for over a mile. Having brought his company safely back, he once again took up position. Ervine-Andrews and his men were safely evacuated from Dunkirk. His VC (owned by the museum) is currently on display in Blackburn Museum.

3 N E W S L E T T E R 3 6 P A G E 3 Join the Friends Registered Charity No The Friends of The Museum are an active organisation with an interest in military history, particularly that of The Queen s Lancashire Regiment and its antecedents. Through this forum, they help to support and sustain one of the most important military history collections in the country. By becoming a Friend, you can get involved in as much or as little as you wish. Some of the benefits include: Access to the archives Discounted research assistance Publications Reduced event entry fees Battlefield Tours Memberships Individual 10 Family (includes partner & up to two children) 15 Senior Citizen 5 Individual Life Membership (single donation) 100 Interested? Contact the Museum today and become a member. friends@lancashireinfantrymu seum.org.uk Its easy to become a Friend just contact the museum today! Autumn 2017 The Friends of the Lancashire Infantry Museum are about to embark on their annual battlefield tour. At the end of September the Friends will be travelling to S Hertogensbosch, Arnhem, Nijmegen and Overloon on Bosch Rose Details of the 2018 battlefield tour are currently being finalised and will be announced as soon as possible. The tour of the 1918 battle fronts of France and Flanders promises to be very interesting! Watch this space for more details. On Friday 27th October (18.30 to 21.00) the Friends will be holding a Study Evening on Malaya. There will be talks by Lieutenant Colonel John Downham and David Rogan on the role of our Regiments in the anti-communist campaign of the 1950s; the part played by former Regiment Officer Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templar (we have his miniature medals and shirt worn in Palestine on display in the museum); and the intelligence war. The Friends are seeking any veteran who served with 1st Loyals during their eventful tour of duty in Malaya from 1957 to They are hoping that you will be able to join them for the evening. If you know of anyone, please put them in touch with the Friends.

4 P A G E 4 Dates for Your Diary 2017! We hope that you are enjoying the summer. To ease you into Autumn, the museum has a number of exciting events coming up. Starting off on Saturday 9th September (10.00 to 16.00) the museum will be celebrating Heritage Open Days by offering 3 guided tours of the barracks (10.30, and 13.30). Our friends the Great War Society will also be here with their equipment. No need to book just turn up on the day! It s all free. On Saturday 16th September Future Events the Barracks will throw open the gates for the annual Preston Military Visitors for the recent talk by Brenda Brodie Show. With a Battle of Britain Fly Past and performances by Military and Cadet Bands it promises to be a great day. Entrance is free and the gates open at 11.30am. On Saturday 21st October at we welcome back to the museum our friend Cynthia Greenwood who will be talking about David Jones, the WW1 soldier, painter and poet. Cost is 2.00 and refreshments will be available. And, finally on Saturday 11th November we have a Meet the Experts Day where you can bring your military memorabilia into the museum for our experts to look at and identify. For more details about all our events, please see the museum s website. Don t forget your photo ID! Medal Search Private Alfred Cooper The Lancashire Infantry Museum recently launched an appeal to find the family of a Private Alfred Cooper. Inside Story Headline Private Cooper s War Medal was sent to the museum by a lady who hoped that we might be able to reunite the medal with Pte Cooper s family. Sadly, Pte Cooper s service records no longer exist but we do know that he served with the 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. He enlisted on the 30th October 1914 and left for France on the 5th May Jane Davies with medal He was discharged on the 10th January 1917 after suffering a severe compound fracture of the left leg due to a gun shot wound in July Our thanks to Shirley Penman whose detective work suggests that Private Cooper may have come from the Manchester area as he is mentioned in the casualty list of the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser dated 7th August If anybody has any information please contact the museum as we would very much like to reunite Private Cooper s medal with his family.

5

6 Group Visits We offer a variety of programmes suitable for all ages; A guided tour of the museum and the Garrison Church of St. Alban s (one to one and a half hours) 4.00 per person (Weekdays and Evenings) The newly refurbished Somme Room We can also provide tea and coffee for group bookings for 1.00 per person. To book or for more information please contact museum staff. Contact details are below. A guided tour of the museum and the Garrison Church of St. Alban s plus a hotpot supper and a paid bar per person (Weekday Evenings) Fun activity sessions for youth groups. Involves handling session and dressing up 2.50 per person (Leaders are free) (Weekday Evenings) Dressing up fun at the museum! Contact Us! The Duke of Lancaster s Regiment Lancashire Infantry Museum Address: Fulwood Barracks, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 8AA. Phone: (please do not leave a message, there is no answerphone) enquiries@lancashireinfantrymuseum.org.uk At the Lancashire Infantry Museum you can explore the fascinating story of the Lancashire soldier in peace and war. Come and see how the Lancashire Lad lived, worked and fought throughout the world from the founding of the Regiment by William of Orange in 1689 to the present day. We encourage visits from groups, researchers, families and educational groups. We are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from to As we are located within a working MOD establishment ALL ADULT visitors need to bring with them photographic ID (such as a Driver s License) to show the Guardroom on arrival.