Commemorating The 1918 Armistice in Lancashire – with a moving play about Noel and Christopher Chavasse VC. North West Armistice 100 Festival of Remembrance at Preston Guild Hall including a reflection on the heroism of Lieutenant Maurice Dease VC OS. Longridge and Ribchester Remember… In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row….

Nov 8, 2018 | News

 

 

 

 Brothers in Arms

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:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-lancashire-30129782/ww1-hero-chavasse-twins-remembered-in-lancashire

To learn more about the Chavasse brothers click on

https://www.davidalton.net/2014/11/14/noel-chvasse-and-the-liverpool-pals-week-of-remebrance-roscoe-lecture/

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:

 

https://www.davidalton.net/2013/12/01/world-war-one-day-of-world-war-one-poetry-in-liverpool-remembering-the-first-world-war-and-16-5-million-deaths/

 

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. 

 

Stonyhurst College and Armistice Commemoration Preston Guild Hall 2018 .pdf.png

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.

Longridge commemrates Armistice 1918

St.Peter and St.Paul Catholic Church Ribchester

 

 

St.Peter and St.Paul Ribchester Armistice 2018.jpeg

St.Peter and St.Paul Ribchester Armistice (2) 2018

Rememberance.jpg

 

 

Lord David Alton

For 18 years David Alton was a Member of the House of Commons and today he is an Independent Crossbench Life Peer in the UK House of Lords.

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