Museum Opening : Prestwich and the Great War

All the items here are from one soldier from Prestwich who served in the Great War.

 

The latest exhibition in the Heritage Museum in Prestwich Library was opened by the Mayor , Cr. Michelle Wiseman, on  Friday 20th June. The guests included most of the Prestwich Councillors and the Leader of Bury Council, Cr Connolly.

Chairman Jack Barrett said a few words about the exhibition and introduced the Mayor who declared the Display open after a short speech.

The display focusses on the camp of the Manchester Regiment in Heaton Park, the soldiers from Prestwich who served in the war, the local wartime Hospitals and the War Memorials that commemorate those who fell.

The Roll of Honour in the foyer of the Longfield Centre lists 1769 men from Prestwich who served in the Great War.

Of these David Galloway’s excellent book, In Splendid Manner, lists 291 Prestwich soldiers who lost their lives. That was 16% of the total who served – down for some reason on the national death rate in the war of 19%.

The exhibition shows many items associated with the soldiers.

One of those remembered in the exhibition is Harold Cawley, M.P for the Heywood Division. He was the son of Sir Frederick Cawley, the M.P. for the Prestwich Division between 1895 and 1918.When the war broke out Harold Cawley was a Junior Minister in the Liberal Government but he volunteered to serve and was commissioned as a Captain.

On the weekend in early August 1914 when the war on the Continent began, the combined Liberal Parties of Prestwich and Heywood met for their annual assembly in a marquee in the garden of Sir Frederick Cawley at Brooklands on Bury Old Road.

A motion was put by Cr. Stockdale that Britain should remain neutral and not participate in the coming war. Harold Cawley spoke passionately against the motion and in favour of the war. He was to pay with his life for his enthusiasm – he was killed at Gallipoli ten months later.

But Harold Cawley did not die in vain. He sent  a series of scathing letters  home to his father, Sir Frederick, about the incompetent handling and leadership of the  Gallipoli Campaign. Sir Frederick was a member of the Dardanelles Commission which investigated the Gallipoli debacle. Harold’s letters were used as damning evidence at this Enquiry.

Do go along to the exhibition if you get the chance. It is to run for another year.