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Post by prospectroad on Apr 4, 2012 20:54:02 GMT
Hi mack, I tracked down the plaque this afternoon and had a look at it. It is the one with Corporal Heywood's name missing. I met his daughter last year and she told me the story (and gave me some photos for the WW2 book). Last year, on the way back from Ypres, me and Neil visited his grave at Dunkirk and paid our respects.
I wondered about the scrap dealer. The original post on the Yorkshire Police website suggests they're treating it as a theft. Although they didn't melt it down, they didn't tell anyone. I assume they will provide documentation to prove they had come by it legally.
Cheers Pete
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Post by prospectroad on Apr 7, 2012 15:10:31 GMT
The Daily Mail has published the story, word for word, the same as the Advertiser. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126075/World-War-II-plaque-childrens-playground-missing-decades-scrapyard.htmlPeople who know nothing about Irlam or the war memorial have got the wrong idea and are getting on their high horses about stolen war memorials. I've posted the below comment on the Daily Mail's comments section to try and correct the situation, however, its been swamped by negative comments: There has been a lot of mis-information about this. The facts are that the plaque wasn't stolen from the memorial, it was replaced by the Council because the original missed off the name of Corporal Frederick Noel Heywood, who was killed during the retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940. He was the first WW2 casualty from the district. How do I know this? I've studied the Irlam and Cadishead War Memorial extensively, I co-wrote "A District at War" which describes the district's involvement in WW1 and includes a full history of the memorial up to the modern day, and we are researching a book about the district's involvement in WW2. During this research we have met many local veterans and also the families of the men listed on the memorial, including the daughter of Frederick Heywood. It would really help if members of SWARM would make similar comments on the story in the Mail or just make reference to my comments (if you agree with them of course). Best regards Pete
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Post by Hawker Hurricane on Apr 7, 2012 16:40:03 GMT
Will do Pete when I get on the pc instead of this phone. :-)
EDIT: Now done.
Sent from my LT15i using ProBoards
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Post by prospectroad on Apr 7, 2012 17:53:29 GMT
Thanks Jim, it would be good if we could get this message across
Cheers Pete
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tonyrod
Second Lieutenant
Posts: 324
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Post by tonyrod on Apr 8, 2012 9:22:14 GMT
well done pete, :nana2: :nana2:
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Post by Rocket Man on Apr 11, 2012 22:54:25 GMT
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Post by Spitfire on Apr 11, 2012 23:09:28 GMT
What a shame the police appear to be taking all the credit in the Salford press and West York's Police web site for finding this. The entire story is incorrect - read the above posts - this memorial wasn't stolen but they won't publish the facts.
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Post by prospectroad on Apr 12, 2012 6:56:45 GMT
What a shame the police appear to be taking all the credit in the Salford press and West York's Police web site for finding this. The entire story is incorrect - read the above posts - this memorial wasn't stolen but they won't publish the facts.[/quote Thanks Emma, you can understand the frustration we've faced getting the message out. Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding how the plaque came to be in the scrapyard, the person who found and reported it deserves the highest praise. They did the right thing and hopefully will do the same if they see another memorial. All this publicity does throw up other questions. How should war memorials be updated? Was the memorial re-dedicated when the plaque was replaced? Can a memorial be scrapped? Is there a better and more respectful way of 'disposing' of obselete memorials? Cheers Pete
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mack
Second Lieutenant
Posts: 481
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Post by mack on Apr 12, 2012 17:26:52 GMT
hiya gary. on the same lines of what your saying about the disposal of war memorials,after WW1,the IWGC[now the CWGC]employed contractors to carve most of the headstones,during the process,some were incorrectly carved and others damaged in the process,the contractors recarved these and discarded the incorrect ones,many ended up as paving stones or ballst,a few were used to line a pumping house down south[its still standing,but derelict]the contractors sold these stones as scrap,later on,the CWGC told them to break them up properly so that there was no trace of them being gravestones,its the same with this plaque,it was incorrectly commissioned,it will only end up back in a cellar gathering dust when all the hype has died down,best if its given a dignified ending rather than being disrepecfully forgotten again
mack
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Post by shred on Apr 13, 2012 22:22:16 GMT
Mack,
I understand where you are coming from. I recently read that the CWGC whilst replacing the wooden crosses of WW1 graves offered to send them back to family members in 1923. Only 3000(approx) family members took up this offer, the rest of the crosses were burnt and the ashes scattered over the cemeteries where the men were buried/reburied.
I have spoken with Pete about about this plaque but I think the final decision may fall with the councillors/general public of Irlam, we can only suggest our ideas. That said, I support Pete's view that the plaque should not be put on public display.
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