The story of the Artic Convoys, today at Chorlton Library

Back in February, there was one of those remarkable days when a lot of us came together to honour four people who gave up six years of their lives in the service of their country during the last world war.*

One was a fighter pilot, two served on the Atlantic convoys and one drove a petrol lorry across the city during the blitz.

And today Bernard Leach will be giving a talk on the Arctic Convoys at Chorlton Library between 2-4pm as part of Chorlton Book week and their Grand Day Out event for the over 50's

"Chorlton Good Neighbours launched a campaign to get a medal awarded to the Arctic Convoy veterans, which was successful when the government announced the awarding of the Arctic Star medal.

Bob Cowan, 93, a Chorlton Good Neighbours regular, and an Arctic Convoy veteran, was at the centre of the MEN & Chorlton Good Neighbours campaign which led to the Arctic Star medal eventually being awarded. He finally received his medal over the summer, but it was just sent in the post and as he is nearly blind, he mislaid it. I recently helped him to find it.

I saw Bob this morning whizzing along in Chorlton on his walking frame and he has agreed to come to the event at the library. Cllr Sheila Newman has agreed to present Bill with the Arctic Star medal at this event on behalf of Chorlton Good Neighbours and all the local people who would like to acknowledge the important role that Bob and other local ex-servicemen and women played in WW2. 

All are welcome at this event

There is a video of Bob talking about the Arctic Convoys at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZXWDlZNweE

Bob Cowan - the Arctic Convoys and other memories of World War 2
www.youtube.com

Bob Cowan is soon to be 93 years old. He was born in Moss Side, Manchester. Here he talks about his memories and experience of war at sea during"  Bernard Leach

*“ordinary lives in extraordinary times” remembering and honouring four from Chorlton http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/ordinary-lives-in-extraordinary-times.html

Picture, Bob Cowan during the war

“ordinary lives in extraordinary times” remembering and honouring four from Chorlton

Today was one of those remarkable days when a lot of us came together to honour four people who gave up six years of their lives in the service of their country during the last world war.

One was a fighter pilot, two served on the Atlantic convoys and one drove a petrol lorry across the city during the blitz.

Alan Wood had flown with Coastal Command in the Ship busting squadrons based in Scotland, Bob Cowan and John Mackay saw action escorting convoys of much needed war materials to the Soviet Union and Mickie Mitchell who began as a lorry diver went on to serve in the Fire Brigade in Manchester and later in Germany and Palestine.

As Bernard who organised the presentation said these were ordinary lives lived out in extraordinary times and I think everyone of us was impressed with the calm way they recounted the events they experienced with a mix of stoicism and humour.

As one of them said “it turns your life upside down” but it was what all four had volunteered to do.

It wasn’t a sombre affair and at times there was much laughter as well as genuine warmth for four people who just got on with fighting the war.

And in the course of the afternoon others who had served on the convoys, worked in the munitions factories or just endured the long years of a hard war were remembered.

Arctic Convoys, Spitfires and the Manchester Blitz – celebrating Chorlton’s World War Two veterans was organised by Chorlton Good Neighbours and was held at the monthly meeting of the local history group.

The culmination of the afternoon was the presentation to each of the four of an engraved glass plaque by the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester.

This was followed the presentation to the two Arctic Convoy veterans with “65th Anniversary of Victory" medals by Andrei Makarenko, from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in London.

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

There were over 80 people in the room and the along with local councillors there was a team from Granada Reports and a journalist from the Manchester Evening News.

So for those who were unable to attend it will be covered on Granada Reports to night and the MEN tomorrow.

And for those who want to listen to Alan, Bob, John and Mickie discuss their war service there are interviews on the Chorlton Good Neighbours site at http://chorltongoodneighbours.org

Chorlton Good Neighbours Care Group has been active in Chorlton, Manchester since 1967. This blog aims to capture the experiences of our members, many of whom are in their 80's and 90's. It also documents the variety of events and activities that take place in our group each week.

Pictures;  Mickie Mitchell in the centre of the three and Bob Cowan during the war, John, Bob with Mickie and Alan today at the event, and John and son with his plaque and anniversary medal, courtesy of Tom McGrath

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