Tameside Honours its Fallen

Press Release Date: 12 November 2010

Families of some of Tameside’s recent fallen were present when the borough’s new war memorial was dedicated on 11 November.

Two ornamental Portland stone plinths at Ashton War Memorial, St Michael’s Square, record the names of 16 men who lost their lives on active service in theatres such as Palestine, Korea and Malaya, including six killed in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.

Members of the Royal British Legion  and Tameside Ex-Services Association took part in the ceremony which was led by the Rev Roger Farnworth, Rector of Ashton Parish Church .

The first wreaths were laid by the Civic Mayor of Tameside, Cllr Jean Brazil.

Cllr Jim Fitzpatrick, Tameside Council’s First Deputy, who led the war memorial project, said: “People think Britain has largely been at peace since 1945, but 1968 is the only year since then that our forces suffered no fatalities.

“Our major war memorials commemorate those who died in the two world wars of the 20th century. It’s only right that we have provided something to commemorate our more recent casualties.

“If anyone knows of any other people who need to be included, there is room to add their names. We can also cope with any future conflicts, although I hope there won’t be any.”

Those recorded on the new Tameside Memorial are:

• Guardsman Tony Downes from Droylsden. Killed in Afghanistan on 9 June, 2007, while serving with the Grenadier Guards.
• Sgt Mark Stansfield from Hollingworth. Died on 21 September, 2007, as the result of an accident in Iraq. Royal Logistic Corps.
• Cpl Joseph Etchells, from Mossley. Killed in Afghanistan on 19 July, 2009. Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
• Kingsman Sean Dawson from Stalybridge. Killed in Afghanistan on 14 February, 2010. Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment.
• Cpl Harvey Holmes from Hyde. Killed in Afghanistan on 2 May, 2010. 1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment.
• Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze – a former pupil at Audenshaw School and member of the Church Lad’s and Girls’ Brigade at Christ Church, Denton. Killed in Afghanistan on 12 June, 2010. 1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment
• 1946 – Squadron Leader Frederick George Birchall (Royal Australian Air Force). Died 17 April, 1946, aged 47 after an ambush in Indonesia. Buried Djakarta Cemetery. Son of George and Harriet Birchall who lived Mottram Road, Hyde. Attended St John’s School, Godley.
• 1946 – Driver Leslie Hunt (Royal Corps of Signals). Died 4 June, 1946, Palestine aged 18. Born 3 July, 1927. Lived in Denton. Buried Ramleh War Cemetery.
• 1946 – AB Sam Winterbottom (Royal Navy). Died 22 October, 1946, serving in the destroyer HMS Saumarez which hit a mine in the Straits of Corfu. Parents lived on Appleby Avenue, Hyde. Buried Corfu British Cemetery.
• 1946 – Lance Cpl Dennis Higginbottom (1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles). Died 30 October, 1946, aged 20. Lived on Queens Road, Ashton. Buried Ramleh War Cemetery. Killed in an attack in the Sheikh Jarrah quarter of Jerusalem. Charges placed in the parapet of the road culvert were electrically detonated at the moment an Arab civilian truck and two military vehicles laden with British troops were passing the spot. At the same time automatic fire was opened on the vehicles from positions north and south of the culvert. Two British soldiers were killed. Worked as wire-coiler at Aerialite and attended St Mary’s School, Ashton.
• 1947 – Warrant Officer Thomas Nelson Berry (Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve). Son of Mrs and Mrs Samuel Berry of Arnold Avenue, Hyde. Died 20 March, 1947, aged 26. He was piloting a Spitfire from the Isle of Man to England when it crashed in fog. Born in Co Durham.
• 1949 – Gunner Colin Malcolm Bailey (26th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery). Killed in an ambush in Malaya on 19 January,1949, aged 19 (born 5 September, 1929). Son of Mr and Mrs Leslie Bailey of 16 Surrey Street, Hurst Cross, but the family had moved from Disley two years before. He volunteered for the forces in May, 1948. One of four men killed when a lorry was ambushed. Buried at Cheras Road Christian Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur.
• 1949 - Guardsman John Ronald (Ronnie) Hall (3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards). Killed 12 March, 1949, aged 20, during an ambush. Buried at Chervas Road Christian Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur. Lived at 31 Quickedge Road, Mossley. Attended St Joseph’s RC School, and St Joseph’s RC Church.
• 1951 – Gunner Wilfred Hewitt (45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery) from Dukinfield. Died at the Battle of the Imjin River, during the Korean War. Lived at 61 Astley Street. Aged 31. Ex-Crescent Road School and attended St Mark’s Church and Sunday School. Died 23 April, 1951. UN Memorial Cemetery, Pusan.
• 1951 – Signalman Peter Norman Latham (Royal Signals attached to 5th Inniskilling Royal Dragoon Guards) from Denton. Died in an accident on 16 December, 1951, aged 21. Buried at UN Memorial Cemetery, Pusan. Mother lived at 86 Stockport Road, Denton. Was into the tenth month of his National Service and had only been in Korea two weeks. Attended Audenshaw Grammar School and worked at A Davies and Sons, Manchester Road, Denton. Wicketkeeper for Denton St Lawrence CC.
• 1971 – Lance Cpl Eric Halkyard (Royal Australian Regiment). came from 54 Moorfield Avenue, Denton, but died in an ambush in Vietnam on 16 January, 1971. He spent six years in the Grenadier Guards and then emigrated. At the time of his death he was serving in the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. He attended St Lawrence’s School and Two Trees High School, Denton.

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Media, Marketing and Communications Tameside MBC Council Offices Wellington Road Ashton under Lyne OL6 6DL  View local map
0161 342 3548
0161 342 3779