How was Armistice Day celebrated locally when the First World War ended 100 years ago?

How was Armistice Day celebrated locally when the First World War ended exactly 100 years ago?

This was an article written by the Rev G R Oakley, who was then-vicar of St Andrew's Church, Dearnley, Littleborough, which has been reproduced in the current issue of The Fisherman, the parish magazine of St Andrew's.

An extended Remembrance Sunday service will be held at St Andrew's Church, Dearnley this week (11 November), starting at 9.30am and finishing about 11.15am.

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Oh, the joy and gladness of it!

The hooters were the first signal we received and in a moment Mr Isaac Kilpatrick's knock at the vicar's door sent those within into hysterics.

The whole place was out. People waved hats and hands to each other and shook hands with wounded soldiers from Birch Hill.

School children came cheering along the streets waving flags, which also appeared miraculously from windows.

Terry and Cecil Oakley ran wildly to church and rang the bell which, as it happened, gave the first intimation to many people.

The Union Jack appeared on the War Shrine.

There were smiles everywhere and tears too - tears of joy and tears of sadness and sympathy when one remembered the brave lads who died for us.

School children assembled in the yard in the afternoon and the vicar led them in a prayer of thanksgiving and then the Lord's Prayer.

Then they sang the National Anthem and 'Soldiers and Sailors' before giving three cheers for Belgium, Serbia, France, Italy and America; three very big cheers for England; and a final one for Lancashire before they dispersed joyfully for their holiday.

People poured home from the mills. One little girl, Elsie Kershaw, had manufactured at the mill a fine Union Jack of her own and led a group on the way.

Tramcars ceased to run; people flocked to Rochdale where the band was playing, church bells ringing and fireworks cracking in every direction.

'God Reigns' says the Dean of Manchester - yes, God, not the Kaiser.

There were some who said they would not believe in God if Germany won.

Will they believe now? We Christians never doubted him.

'God Reigns' as he always reigns and will reign eternally. Thanks be to him through Christ our Lord.

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There are six First World War graves at St Andrew's, each of which comes under the auspices of the Commonwealth War Commission.

They are the graves of:

• Private James Howarth, who was buried with military honours in April, 1917, aged 41.
• Driver Samuel Ingham Uttley, who lived at Old Road, Wuerdle and worked with horses in France.  He died in 1919, aged 26.
• Private Harry Rhodes, son of a Wuerdle farmer, who was discharged from the Yorkshire Regiment on health grounds and died in Prestwich Mental Hospital in 1919, aged 21.
• Private Cyril Mills Dawson, who survived the war but died suddenly after demob, aged 20.
• Corporal James Evan Crowther, a lifelong member at St Andrew's, who also saw the war out, but died in 1920, aged 32 (family grave).
• Sapper Harry Barker, gassed in France and died in Rochdale Infirmary in 1921, aged 38 (family grave).

NOTE: 'Wuerdle' is a correct spelling, not a mistake for 'Wardle' - Wuerdle is an area between Dearnley and Hurstead.