Historic First World War Memorial returns home to Royton in special rededication service

The historic Heyside Congregational Church Memorial disappeared after the church closed down, eventually finding its way to a military antiques dealer in 2020.

After a campaign to buy back the bronze sculpture, it is now proudly on display at the recently restored Royton Library and Town Hall.

On Sunday 15 December, a special rededication service took place to officially commemorate the memorial in its new home – back in the heart of the Royton community.

The event was organised by the Royton Branch of the Royal British Legion and attended by dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, representatives from the Manchester Regiment and the King’s Regiment Association, as well as the Mayor of Oldham and the Leader of Oldham Council.

Major Eddy Hardaker, President of the Royton Branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “This is the culmination of over four years work and commitment from the branch researchers who rightly wanted the memorial to come back home. We are grateful to everyone who has made this possible.

“It is 101 years since the memorial was first unveiled but it remains just as important a century on. These local men and boys made the ultimate sacrifice, for the security and freedoms we enjoy today. We will never forget them.”

The memorial was originally in Heyside Congregational Church on Hebron Street, Heyside. After storm damage to the roof, the church was demolished and the congregation moved into the Sunday School next door. During recent years the Sunday School needed major repairs and in 2017 the decision was made to close and sell the building.  

The parish elders tried to relocate the war memorial but were unsuccessful and it left the building with the remaining contents to an unknown destination. In 2020 researchers from the Royal British Legion Royton Branch, were alerted to a war memorial for sale on the website of a military dealer. 

After many months of hard work and demanding research due to covid and lockdown, they eventually identified it as belonging to the Heyside Congregational Church. Contact was made and discussions were held regarding the return of the memorial to Royton. 

They learned that it had been found in a barn in Worcestershire, was sold onto a private collector, and then sold to War and Son medals and military antiques in Herefordshire.

The company, which has featured on TV’s History Hunters, removed the memorial from auction and reduced the price to support the community to buy it, saying at the time: “We have a history of reuniting items and this deserves to be seen, admired and appreciated. Hopefully going forward people won’t be so cavalier with their history because, once it has been lost, it is gone forever.”

Money was raised by public donations and the memorial was returned home.

The memorial depicts the figure of peace holding a palm frond, wreathed in laurel and the dates 1914 and 1918 to the cross with the raised lettering: To The Glory of God in Loving Memory of these our Brothers who to Save Us Resisted Even Unto Death.

It also shows the names of those fallen at the base, with the signature of the sculptor Richard Reginald Goulden in the  bottom right-hand corner. He was also the sculptor of Crompton’s War Memorial and others across the country.  

Cllr Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, who supported the campaign and also organised for the memorial to be installed in the Library, said: “This memorial was created by the community, for the community, and I’m really proud it’s back where it belongs.

“Those named on it were sons, brothers, husbands, fathers who went off to war – some were only 17 years old – and they never returned to their families. 

“Thanks to the incredible research carried out by members of the Royal British Legion’s Royton Branch, future generations can continue to learn about who they were and why we must always remember them.”

Alongside the memorial, a detailed file compiled by RBL branch researchers Maria Hanley and Andrew Spence provides a wealth of information about the memorial and every man named on it. It includes photographs, their family history, where they died, Commonwealth War Records and more.

It has taken hours of dedicated online and offline research from looking through newspaper clippings and paper archives to searching online records and genealogy websites. 

The file is now available at Royton Library for residents to view at their leisure.

Uncovering the stories behind the names

Among the information is the story of James Hubert Shaw, a Private in the Manchester Regiment, who was killed aged just 17 at Gallipoli. He should have never been there – 18 was the minimum age for ‘signing up’ and 19 the minimum for overseas service – but around 250,000 other underage soldiers served in the First World War with a blind eye turned to what was really happening.

James died on 4 June 1915, along with 94 other Oldham men in the Third Battle of Krithia.

Through Maria and Andrew’s research, James’ great nephew, Steven, got in touch and helped to confirm the memorial’s identity thanks to a postcard in a box of family photographs and his memories of the church playing a big part in his grandma’s life.

Steven, who lives in New Zealand, said: “It is wonderful to know that this memorial to those men and boys is back amongst the community in which they lived and worked, and in a place where it will be safe for the future.

“James was killed that day in what is considered Oldham’s darkest day. His body was never recovered and his name is on the Helles Memorial in Gallipoli. 

“I will certainly come and view the Heyside memorial next time I am in the UK and I also plan on visiting Gallipoli to pay my respects.”

Walter Thomas is another young Royton man who went missing in action. He enlisted in the Army early in the war and signed up alongside his friend and neighbour, Charles Mills. The pair both served with the Lancashire Fusiliers and were killed within days of each other. They are both named on the war memorial.

Walter was just 24 when he lost his life. His body was never recovered or identified and his family had to wait seven months for official confirmation.

A newspaper report from July 1916, included in the information file, reports that he is missing from his regiment along with Private J.B. Pickles, also from Royton. Another article in February 1917 reads that his family have now been informed he was killed in action, “presumably on the date on which he was reported missing.”

Walter, who was a member of Heyside Cricket Club and worked as a cotton piecer before the war, is commemorated on  the Thiepval Memorial in France.

One man who did return home was Herbert Barker, but he sadly died of his wounds received in Gallipoli. He served as a Private with the Lancashire Fusiliers from 5 August 1915. Herbert was 42 when he died in Salford Hospital on 14 September 1915. He is buried in Greenacres Cemetery.

The Heyside Congregational Church Memorial inscription in full is:

1914-1918 

TO THE GLORY OF GOD 

IN LOVING MEMORY OF THESE OUR BROTHERS 

WHO TO SAVE US RESISTED EVEN UNTIL DEATH 

Herbert Barker 

James (John) William Buckley  

Frances Chadwick 

Edgar Fitton 

William Frost 

Richard Green 

Alfred Holt Hopkinson M.M.  

Walter Howe 

Harry Hunt 

John Kimber 

Joseph Lees 

Charles Mills 

Albert Nield 

John Edward Pickles 

James Hubert Shaw 

Josiah Simpson 

William Smith 

Samuel Smithies 

Walter Thomas 

Edward Tupman 

Tom Wainman 

Harry Watkin 

John Wood 

Joseph Richard Woodcock 

AND IN GRATITUDE TO THOSE WHO SERVED 

A newspaper report from the Oldham Evening Chronicle, 26th September 1923 reads:  “The unveiling ceremony was performed by Mrs. F. Shaw, whose son was the first soldier from Heyside to be killed in the war and following the unveiling Mr H Frost read the names on the memorial. Special music was rendered by the choir and “The Last Post” was sounded at the close of a most impressive service.”

Anyone who would like to see the memorial or view the information file can call into Royton Library, which is open: Monday to Thursday 9am-7pm; Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9.30am-1pm.