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Wigan War Workers

21 Comments

1914 - 18 Beech Hill Munition work force
1914 - 18 Beech Hill Munition work force
Photo: Veronica B
Views: 3,187
Item #: 33170
Pose for the photograph on the steps leading to the cafe.

Comment by: Pw on 12th June 2021 at 07:50

Great photo.I wonder how many lost relatives in the war.

Comment by: Veronica on 12th June 2021 at 09:49

And how many children never knew their father. There must have been many one parent families at that time. Interestingly my Aunt at the front of the parade in the 2nd WW was an only child and a babe in arms when her father was killed in action. She and her mother went to live in the same house as my grandmother and her children. I should think that happened a lot in those days it certainly wasn't uncommon.

Comment by: Albert.S. on 12th June 2021 at 11:49

The statue of the soldier of the Boer War still holding aloft the flag in his left arm, and his rifle in his right arm. It was a very striking statue. I don’t know who designed it.

Comment by: Albert.S. on 13th June 2021 at 12:59

The mentioned statue erected to those soldiers that fought in the Boer War was designed by Sir William Gascombe John. Erected and unveiled in 1903. It was a hand gun that he held in his right hand, not a rifle.

Comment by: Rev David long on 13th June 2021 at 17:04

I don't think there were any fatal accidents at Beech Hill or Standish - but some of the girls did die from poisoning from the chemicals used - as far as I know Wigan has no commemoration of their sacrifice... or, indeed of those killed by the 1918 Zeppelin raid or the Roburite explosion. Men only had to don a uniform briefly before dying of natural causes to get their names on a memorial.
A disenchanted ex-WW1 soldier broke the Boer War statue's pistol and the hand that held it. Breaking statues is no new thing....

Comment by: Dave on 14th June 2021 at 09:42

My grandfather fought in the boer war, he was twenty years old at the time he survived it and my mother was born in 1907, he died aged 79 in 1957.I have a photograph of my grandmother a school photo that must date from 1880ish as she looks to be about 7 years old.My grandfather was not from Wigan he was born and died in York.

Comment by: Albert.S. on 14th June 2021 at 10:18

In 1946 Reverend David, an inebriated sailor broke the arm off the statue that was carrying the flag. The story was in the Wigan Observer. When the magistrates asked for an explanation as to why he had done it. He said. “ He looked as though he was fed up of holding it”.

Comment by: Veronica on 14th June 2021 at 10:36

I have a booklet about the Boer War written by Fred Holcroft. There are names of soldiers from Wigan who fought, died and survived. Even their addresses are in the book. ' The Devil's Hill' local men at the 'Battle of Spion' 1900. It's still available if you don't know of it Dave.
( you probably know of it). I found some relatives the name of Cox in it from Wellington St.

Comment by: Pw on 14th June 2021 at 11:47

When walking around Mortlake cemetery I saw a line of military type headstones that were inscribed Munition Worker,some said Austrailian Munition Worker.I presume there must have been an accident at a factory.My mother worked at a Munition factory during WW2 and told me people's skin used to change colour,must have been a terrible job

Comment by: Veronica on 14th June 2021 at 11:51

'Spion Kop' bedevilled with predictive text!

Comment by: Albert.S. on 14th June 2021 at 12:32

If the munition worker worked in the dealing with gun powder, their skin became a yellowish colour.

Comment by: Veronica on 14th June 2021 at 16:48

Things had changed by the time I worked at the ROF, the powder was in a hard pellet form as I remember. Not that I handled any personally. I think that stopped people's skin turning yellow. Plus all the lotions and creams available to use before going into the areas where the stuff was. It was more a case of some people getting rashes on their skin, but they were moved if they did. It all seemed very clinical to me with all the safety precautions. It was one of the best jobs I ever worked at, which was mainly inspectorate, of all things! Plus very well paid.

Comment by: Maureen on 16th June 2021 at 20:14

As Veronica knows ( I've already told her) my Mam used to work at ROF,she got pernicious anaemia through working with cordite..I've forgotten how long she was laid off.

Veronica..my Grandad served in the Boer War,I wonder if his name is in your book,his name was
Thomas McGovern.

Comment by: Veronica on 16th June 2021 at 22:55

I've just looked for you Maureen he's not on the lists. Did he actually live in Wigan?
I remember you saying your mam worked at the ROF and got pernicious anaemia. There were quite a few got that. I had a blood test as well and had anaemia. That cordite must have been in the air. I was just given iron tablets.

Comment by: Maureen on 16th June 2021 at 23:26

Thank you for looking Veronica..I believe he came from Staffordshire,but when he left I have no idea..I used to go on the machines upstairs in the Library..to try and find out more about my family ,but it came to an end when we moved house.

Comment by: Veronica on 16th June 2021 at 23:41

It's only the soldiers. Who were at the battle of Spion Kop who were listed Maureen, it doesn't mean he wasn't in the Boer War.

Comment by: Maureen on 17th June 2021 at 10:06

I used to have a lovely photograph of him in his full uniform,one of my nephews borrowed it,and I never got it back..so annoying.

Comment by: Veronica on 17th June 2021 at 11:29

I would ask him for it Maureen it's a treasure you don't want to lose. You could put it on here then it wouldn't be lost.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 17th June 2021 at 14:49

I think Fred Holcroft's book on Spion Kop only lists those who died. That's the case with most War Memorials, too - but, for the Boer War, many of the memorials list all those who served. If you tap the surname of the person into the Search facility here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/search, and use the Filter to narrow the results down to Boer War, a list of the Boer War Memorials where the name has been recorded will come up. If you use the 'Filter' you can narrow the area covered as you wish. I think it's a bit of a clunky system - but if you persevere you'll be able to fetch up all the Boer War Memorials the name appears on - as long as someone has transcribed the names into the database. That hasn't happened for all the memorials (the Wigan one in the Army Reserve Centre has yet to be fully transcribed) - so the next thing to do is Search for all the Boer War Memorials in your area of interest... and patiently scour the images for the name you want. No guarantees - but hours of fun looking!

Comment by: Maureen on 17th June 2021 at 15:28

Veronica,I got fed up of asking him for it,all I got each time was he couldn't find it...I'm still annoyed about it.

Comment by: Veronica on 17th June 2021 at 16:54

Very sad if it's been lost Maureen.
Rev. Long I have just looked in the book as I have two Cox's mentioned one from 12 Wellington St. I think he was a first cousin of my Grt Grandmother . Cox John - Sergeant 3426 L/F Sudan medal, S Africa medal , killed at Venter's Spruit 20th Jan 1900.
The other is James Cox private L/F aged 18 yrs to Reserve sept 1899 rejoined 1899 . Discharged , medically unfit for duty 1901 with a pension of 1s /3d per day . SAfrica medal. It shows quite a few survivors and wounded.
There's some really interesting letters written by soldiers.
Drummer Hilton from Wigan wrote -
"it was an awful sight to see some of the men. Sergeant Cox of Wigan was killed and all the men greatly regretted his death for he was so well respected in the regiment for being a very smart upright soldier" .

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