As part of the Armistice Commemorations Blackburn Cathedral staged a production of “Brothers in Arms” -a play about the life of two remarkable brothers, Noel and Christopher Chavasse – whose father was Bishop of Liverpool.
Captain Noel Chavasse, of the 10th Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, became the only soldier to receive the Victoria Cross twice during the war.
His twin brother Christopher was a Chaplain in the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department and was awarded the Military Cross.
The play tells the story of their courage, faith and sacrifice while under fire – and is both poignant and instructive.
This report from BBC Lancashire was broadcast after an earlier performance of the play:
To learn more about the Chavasse brothers click on
And Click here to hear (and see the slide presentation) made during the 123rd Roscoe Lecture, which I hosted and which was held at St.George’s Hall Liverpool- commemorating the role of Noel Chavasse VC and the Liverpool Pals during the Great War:
http://ljmu.ac.uk/roscoe/101110.htm
The Lecture was presented by Bill Sergeant and Tony Wainwright
Also see:
On Saturday November 9th at Preston Guild Hall a Festival of Remembrance was held to commemorate and celebrate the North West’s contribution to the Armed Forces.
In 1918, as now, more than 20% of all recruits to the three Services came from the North West of England. Kitchener’s New Army and the Pals Battalions recruited from towns across the region. They fought alongside soldiers from every part of today’s Commonwealth – including a million Indian soldiers ( 400,000 from what is now Pakistan).
During the Festival of Remembrance students from the Combined Cadet Force at Lancashire’s Stonyhurst College poignant recalled the life of one of their former students, Lieutenant Maurice Dease of the Royal Fusiliers – the first posthumous recipient of a Victoria Cross – who died at Mons in 1914.
In Flanders Fields, by John McRae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
2018 – the Lancashire town of Longridge remembers those who died in the Great War.
St.Peter and St.Paul Catholic Church Ribchester
