The Brushes War Memorial

The description of the dedication ceremony in June 1922 taken from the Derbyshire Courier June 17 1922.

 

SHEEPBRIDGE SHRINE

War Memorial Unveiled at the Brushes

Tribute to the memory of the 88 men from the Sheepbridge and Brushes district who were killed in the war was paid on Sunday, when in the presence of several hundred people the memorial shrine erected in the wall of the Brushes Council School was unveiled.  Processions were formed at Old Whittington War Memorial, Brierley Bridge and Whittington Moor and the New Whittington and Sheepbridge Works Band took part.  Members of the British Legion, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, St John Ambulance Brigade, Friendly Societies etc joined in the processions, and on arrival at the shrine lined each side of the road. A platform had been erected in the schoolyard immediately behind the memorial. The Mayor (Ald. W. Rhodes) presided and others present were the Mayoress (Mrs Rhodes), Mr and Mrs W. B. M. Jackson, Capt. V.O.Robinson MC, Ald. and Mrs B. Mather, Mr J.T.Goodwin M.B.E., Mr and Mrs E.H.Russell, Mr and Mrs T.E. Haslam, Mr A. Bratley, Rev. E.A.Crompton,                Rev. A.R.Walsham, Coun. Hunt, Coun. Staton, Mr and Mrs Arnold, Miss Johnson,              Mr F.D. Goodwin, Mr A. Scott, Mr T. Levers and Mr R. Francis.

Mr Bratley (Chairman of the War Memorial Committee), said the memorial was long overdue.  The scheme had been contemplated for a long time, but they did not wish to start the memorial until they were in a sound financial position.  Mr J T Goodwin had taken an active part in the scheme and it was largely due to his energetic efforts that the memorial had been completed.  The shrine had cost £50.  Towards this he had received £22 10s from Sheepbridge Works, £11 15s from house to house collections, and £7 5s had been promised which made a total of £41.  He had that day received a further amount of £5, which left a deficit of about £4. On behalf of the Committee he thanked the inhabitants of the district for their support and for assisting the promoters in making that day a memorial day in the truest sense.

The Mayor said it was fitting that a memorial should be erected to keep before their minds the services rendered and sacrifices made by the men who went to the war and did not return.  He welcomed that opportunity of addressing the residents of the newly added area and expressed the hope that they would all co-operate and work for the benefit of the town of which they now formed a part.

IN MEMORIAM

The following names inscribed on the memorial plate were then read out by Capt. Robinson, who unveiled the memorial after calling the parade to attention:-

Horace Aaron, Harry Adams, John Atkinson, Geo. Barker, Geo. Bates, Wm. A. Belfitt, Reginald Benton, W.H. Bestwick, Geo. Bonson, Arthur Booth, John T. Bunting, Robt. Bunting, Alex. Carlisle, John Carlisle, Percy Carlisle, Frank Charnley, Matthew Clayton, Vincent Cooke, Norman Dennison, Reg. Draycott, Bernard Dyson, Kenneth Eveleigh, Abraham Fearn, Geo. Isaac Fearn, Chas. Fisher, Wm Fisher, Wm. Leslie Gaunt, Herbert Gaunt, E. Gilberthorpe, Archibald H. Gill, Harold S. Green, C.G. Hemstock, Wm. Hewitt, Clarence Hewitt, Hy. Higginbottom, Geo. Kirk, Joseph Kynaston, Wm. Leachman, Chas Leggitt, Horace Lewis, Chas. Lievesley, Fred Lilliman, Harry Lilliman, C. Loomes, Bertram Love, T. Mason, F.C. Massey, F. Mitchell, John McGee, Archie Newell, John Newey,  Joseph Norton, Stanley Pardy, T.W.S. Pendleton, W. Hy. Reynolds, Seth Rich, Fred Robinson, J.W.Shawcroft, John Short, John Smedley, Geo. Sims, John Smith, John Smitheman, Ben Siddall, Geo. Straw, Fred Taylor, Harry Taylor, Geo. Thorne, Joseph Thurman, Wm. J. Thurman, J. Vaughan, Sam Waine, Fredk. Walker, John T. Warrick, Ernest Watts, F. Wheelhouse, Wm. Whitmore, H. Widdowson, Wm. Wood, Edwin Hewkin, Wm. Bowman, H. F. Whitbread, Fred Harle, Thos. Hubbard, Walter Platt, James Frost, John E. Green, Herbt. Pollendine.

The ‘Last Post’ was sounded by two buglers.  The dedication ceremony was performed by the Revs. Crompton and Walsham.

Mr W.B.M. Jackson said he was glad to see that district had been able to build a memorial to those who had fallen in the war. They could not in any way repay the services that had been given in the past by those men, and could scarcely recognise what they had suffered and done for them. He only hoped that they would honour the memory of the fallen by always keeping the memorial in a state they would like to see.  There was nothing so sad as to see memorials get into a state of disrepair through neglect.  In conclusion he expressed his pleasure at seeing so many of those who had returned attend to honour those who had been less fortunate.  They all realised that they owed a debt to those who had returned just as much as to those who had fallen. Unfortunately what they believed and hoped would take place after the war had not yet taken place but they lived in a time of better comradeship and friendship.

The Mayor remarked that if any lesson was to be learned from war it was the futility and uselessness of war.  He hoped the world would realise that co-operation was far better than the antagonism of the past, and then they would be able to avoid the possibility of a recurrence of such events.

INDUSTRIAL UNREST

Ald. Mather said their sympathy was with the relatives of the fallen and whilst that might be a sad occasion for them they ought to be proud of the men who had made such great sacrifices and were the greatest heroes of the land.  Passing to the present industrial position, he thought there was too much unrest amongst the Labour of today.  None of the men who suffered the hardships warfare anticipated coming back to work two days per week and practical starvation.  He believed those days had passed.  War was still being waged between Labour and Capital, and he wanted those men who were out of work to be reasonable and the employers to meet the men halfway.  If this was done all the strife and unemployment would be ended.

Coun. Haslam said that the men who gave their lives in the service of their country showed a common interest – the advancement and progress of their beloved country.  It was equally necessary in their day to stand firm for what they believed to be the best interests of the country and of the district in which they lived. He hoped they would all draw great inspiration from the memorial which had been unveiled.  What they wanted was that willingness to stand up for what was right morally and put selfish ideas into the background.

Transcript of an article in the Derbyshire Courier Saturday June 17 1922