Wigan Album
26th Batt West Lancs Home Guard
9 Comments
Photo: Cathy Shepherd
Item #: 5754
Looks like it was taken at the back of the Wigan Rectory in Frog Lane.
Just checked. No it isn't the Rectory.
This pic is Walker Bros. Home Guard, and is taken outside of the Rectory
The chap kneeling far left is Jack Hooton. Sitting behind shield is Bill Hampson,later to become Works manager.On his 3rd left sitting is his son,also named Bill Hampson.
Next to the top row standing 3rd from left is a chap named Knowles, "Art"mentioned this chap in one of his postings as being someone who taught him at Wigan tech.
sitting in front of young billy hampson is george atty and len grimshaw. cyril knowles was a draftsman who may have taught drafting at wigan tech .back row is gwynn owens the son of dodger owens who played for wigan about 1916. i cant be sure but i think bob gore is there and norman atherton. Bob got a 1st class london b.sc(eng) honours at wigan tech after excelling in his higher national in mech eng
I have just seen the photo of the 26th Batallion Home Guard taken in Wigan 1943. I think Fred is correct. My father was Norman Atherton who unfortunately died just recently (16th march 2011) in Sheffield at the age of 87. Dad would have been 19 at the time of the photo and i believe he was an apprentice at Walker Bros between 1941 -1944. Its difficult to see from the photo which person is my dad but if i had to guess i would say he is third from the right on the back row. What do you think? Did you know him well?
Dad went on to live an eventful life. he was married three times, had three children & 6 grand children.
Yes Robin. your father is definitely the third from right on the back row. I started as an apprentice draughtsman at Walker Bros. in Oct.1944.
Fred ,I wonder which one is Gwynn Owens and what happened to him or his father.Did they move to Swansea?His mother was my mother's cousin who was the niece of Harry Lowe the Wigan RL Chairman who signed Dodger.
My Dad Wilf O'Mara 4th from the left second row from the Top, also worked at Walker's in the Toolroom, played for Liverpool RLFC transferred to St Helens + Lancashire Vs New Zealand Touring Team