[quote=Retlaw;700985]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gayle
There were trenches put in during the first world war for training, but after the war they were filled in - in fact Stanley played football (or trained) up there in between the wars.
The trenches were re-dug during the second world war as anti aircraft devices.
Again that myth has cropped up. That the Accy Pals dug trenches up there in WWI. Barnyard confetti. I've just been reading some of the Pals personal diaries, in the William Turner Collection, several of them tell of their early training on Ellison's Tenement, and route marches around the town, not one of them mentions digging trenches.
In fact trench warfare on the scale it became in 1916, was little known amongst the officers & the ex Boer War soldiers who helped in training the pals, trench warfare was unknown to them as well.
Bill Turner was asked several times about the so called trenches, which never got a mention until after the 2nd WW. He also said the Pals never dug any trenches until the went abroad.
So can we finaly put that myth to death once and for all.
I do remember as a young lad seeing the cannons, and the gun mounts. They were removed early in WW2, the mounts were left behind and have slowly rotted away over the years.
Retlaw.
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Actually the Pals did dig trenches locally.
This is from page 8 of the Accrington Gazette of 16th January 1915: "Whilst having a walk over the rough moorland at Moleside one day this week the writer was agreeably surprised by the sight of two or three companies of the 'Pals' engaged in trench digging."