Arctic Convoys, Spitfires and the Manchester Blitz – celebrating Chorlton’s World War Two veterans today at St Ninian's Church, 1.30pm

My parents rarely spoke of the last war and only reluctantly would describe their experiences which more often than not were hedged in generalities.

It was a topic which was left to hang in the air.  So my early knowledge was gained mostly from films, ranging from the ultra patriotic produced during the war years and the daring stiff upper lip ones of the 1950s.

The evidence for what had happened was still all around us.  Ranging from the bomb sites to the shelters in people’s gardens and the fading painted signs indicating where to take cover in the event of an araid.  There were also those odd gaps in the middle of a terrace of houses where a bomb had destroyed a home.

But these have all but vanished under the relentless drive of redevelopment which leaves only the oral testimony of those who lived through it.

I thought the other day that just perhaps in the late evening of a November 5th or early the following morning that mix of the smell from bonfires and the thick greyness that comes from the smoke might just provide a tangible sense of the aftermath of an air raid.  But then there would also be the broken glass and the still warm shrapnel underfoot and in the worst hit areas the rubble and broken homes.

All of which leaves only the oral testimony of those who lived through it.

This includes one old friend who told me of the night his wife Margaret went into labour during an air raid and their journey up Barlow Moor Road.  There was no ambulance, and John didn’t have a car so Margaret sat in the pram and he wheeled her through the empty streets from Reeves Road to the hospital.

So I shall be looking forward to today’s Chorlton History group meeting, Arctic Convoys, Spitfires and the Manchester Blitz – celebrating Chorlton’s World War Two veterans

Chorlton Good Neighbours History Group pays tribute to four of our members, all in their 90’s, who served in World War 2 at an event on:

Thursday Feb 7th 2013 1.30pm at Chorlton Good Neighbours,
Wilbraham St Ninian’s Church, Egerton Rd South, Chorlton, Manchester M21OXJ

Bob Cowan, for whom Good Neighbours mounted a successful campaign for an Arctic Convoy medal to be awarded to veterans such as himself and also John Mackay of Chorlton who we recently discovered, is also a veteran of the Arctic Convoys

Alan Wood, fighter pilot, who was once shot down over the North Sea and was adrift in a one-man dinghy for 4 days

Mickie Mitchell, who as a young woman drove army petrol supplies round during the Manchester blitz

Andrei Makarenko, from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in London will be attending to present the two Arctic Convoy veterans with “65th Anniversary of Victory" medals. 

The Arctic Convoy veterans are still not allowed to receive the Ushakov medal from Russia, but this anniversary medal will be an acknowledgement by the Russian government of the high regard they hold for those helped their country by participating in the perilous Arctic Convoys that got much needed supplies through to Russia during WW2

The High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, George Almond, CBE will present all 4 WW2 veterans with plaques from Chorlton Good Neighbours to celebrate the contribution they made to the defence of this country in WW2

Bob, John, Alan and Mickie will all be at the presentation to receive their awards and answer questions

Further information from Bernard Leach m: 07960 888879,  btleach@gmail.com


Pictures; Post war demolition in Manchester, 1945, m75548, Blitz bomb damage, 1941, m8608,8609,courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council and barrage balloon on the Rec, from the collection of Alan Brown