Re: World War One
 

Thanx ... I will always remember Tommy's giving me a half crown when I was collecting pennies for the Guy ... and you well know what a half crown meant 55 years ago.:D

Re: World War One
 

Yes a gallon of Jet petrol from Nobbies Garage up Bash for my KSS Velocette.
Retlaw.

Re: World War One
 

Hello Walter, just spoken to my father-in-law and it seems that one of his uncles (Thomas) did indeed live in Gt Harwood. He was already in the East Lancs Regt prior to WW1 (in 1911 census his address is Fulwood Barracks) could you post what info you have on Thomas then I can rule him in or out? Cheers, Steve

Re: World War One
 

The Thomas Shearon in my records is from the Gt Harwood R-O-H.
Gunner 92004 R.F.A. 1 of Queen St Gt Harwood.
Now we have an anomaly, there is a Thomas Shearon in documentsonline, he is shown on his medal card as
A/Cpl. 10624. East Lancs Regt, enlisted 15-01-1912
discharged 03-08-1916.
He is not shown in the East Lancs records.

The batch of numbers which 10624 would be in was used by the 1st & 2nd Battalions.
You say he is in the 1911 census at Fulwood, is so he could have been nearing the end of his first term of service, many men signed on for a 12 year stretch, serrving 5, and the rest on reserve, at the out break of war he would be recalled to the colours, and dispatched to the front.
In the 1911 census does it say where he was born.
This man is a puzzler, and without his service records we may never solve it.
Retlaw

Re: World War One
 

The thot plickens.
Could be that the name Thomas Shearon Gnr 92004. R.F.A., on the Gt Harwood R-O-H could be another of the many mistakes on there.
Found the service records of a Thomas Sheron Gnr 92204. R.F.A., born in Bacup, parents live at 55 Talbot St, Rishton.
the only difference between these two men are an A in the surname, and a 0 in the service number.
Retlaw.

Re: World War One
 

Thomas was born in Blackburn according to the census. Does appearing on the ROH mean he died in the war? Because this Thomas survived.
This is the story I've managed to uncover so far: John Shearon b. 1857 in Ireland and lived in Blackburn had 4 sons; John, William, Thomas and James. John and William were both killed in the war (John, you know about as he's on the Oakhill memorial and you sent me his obituary. William was Sgt in the ELR and is mentioned in the Rishton ROH but apparently not on the memorial because he enlisted in Blackburn, although I can't find any mention of him on th Blackburn ROH) Thomas is 18 in 1911 and a private in the East Lancs and James you also know about (my father-in-law remembers James telling him he was a stretcher-bearer) I'll do a bit more digging regarding Thomas and let you know if I turn anything up. Thanks again for your info, Steve

Re: World War One
 

A Roll of Honour is just a list of names, some places have two, a R-O-H., and a Roll of Glory, that one is a list of those who died, enlisting in Blackburn has no bearing on his eligibility to be on a memorial. Blackburn was one of the main recruiting stations, 1000's of men enlisted in places nowhere near their main residence, several came from abroad, Canada & America to enlist in the British Army, those that survived were granted free passage back to their homes after the war.
Of all the war memorials in Hyndburn, which in WW1 was known as Greater Accrington, there are 158 names missing, including 10 names from Rishton.
On Accrington's Memorial there are 11 double entries, 13 errors in spelling, and the names of 83 men who should qualify are missing.
Retlaw.