Tameside pays tribute to Ashton Heroes

On Tuesday 27th March 2007, the latest Tameside Blue Plaque was unveiled at The Armoury, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Relatives and guests travelled from around the North West to pay tribute to two Ashton born soldiers; Colour Sergeant William Yarwood Bebbington and Sergeant James Hargreaves. Both soldiers were the only two of the Manchester Regiment to be awarded the DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal) whilst serving in the 9 th Battalion during the Second World War.

Colour Sergeant Bebbington was awarded the medal for his bravery and leadership as an acting platoon commander age 24 with the Battalion in the British Expeditionary Force in France in May 1940. He was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance prior to the occupation of a position. As soon as he set out to perform this duty he was wounded in the leg, considerably handicapping his work. Although in great pain and travelling a considerable distance, he completed his reconnaissance, personally issuing orders to his section commanders.

After hospitalisation in the United Kingdom he was transferred in August 1940 to the 1 st Battalion in Singapore as Colour Sergeant and Company Quartermaster Sergeant and was taken prisoner following the surrender in 1942. His wife, then living in Waddicor Avenue, Ashton, learnt that he was missing but it was over a year later that she received confirmation that he was a Prisoner of War in Siam. He had been one of the 320 Manchesters sent by the Japanese to work on the Burma/Siam railway in April the previous year. Six weeks later, on 27 June 1943 he died of cholera, aged twenty-seven. His widow, Ethel, lives in Tameside to this day.

Sergeant James Hargreaves, also a pre-war Territorial Army soldier, lived at Layard Street, Ashton. As Sergeant at the age of thirty-eight, he commanded 10 Platoon of 'C' Company in Italy from the crossing of the River Rubicon.

He was awarded the medal for his courage and leadership 'of a very high order'. In September 1944 his Lieutenant, Kenneth Nixon, Commander of 10 Platoon was killed and Sergeant Hargreaves took over command of the platoon. He remained in command until November. During that time, the platoon position was constantly shelled and mortared, with Sergeant Hargreaves directing fire with complete disregard for his own safety. He was largely instrumental in breaking up a series of enemy counterattacks on another troop position in the area.

While the operations were in progress, the River Rubicon had become flooded, cutting of his platoon from the remainder of the Machine Gun Company. On two occasions, Sergeant Hargreaves crossed under fire with ammunition parties, guiding them to the platoon position and enabling the guns to remain in action.

In civilian life, James Hargreaves worked at Bowns Boilermakers of Dukinfield and following the war he moved to Preston where he was employed by British Rail. He died in Preston in January 1998.

After a moving ceremomy involving old comrades and words of thanks from Captain Robert Bonner, Mr. Frank Bebbington and Joan Hessner, son and daughter of William, and David Hargreaves, son of James, unveiled the Blue Plaque. Both families brought along their fathers' DCM medals, to proudly show to invited guests. The plaque is now permanently erected on the front of the Armoury.

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