Mrs Morgan

In 1999, when I first started to look at Providence as a project, I put a notice in the Rossendale  Free Press for anyone who could give me any information about the Chapel, with very little success. The biggest help coming from Trish, at Rawtenstall Library who was, and still is, most helpful and informative on local studies.  One person who did reply was Mrs A Morgan of Townsenfold, she was ninety years old then, and had recently lost her husband Cyril, and, as they both played a big part in the History of Providence Chapel,  I find it only right to include Mrs Morgan’s letter to me, all those years ago, copied in type below.

5th of July 1999

Dear Mr Drury

I am afraid my memories don’t go back as far as the 1914-18 war, but my late husband was very active during the 1939-45 war at Providence until it closed.  Even after (it closed) he bought a circular saw and each Monday evening he would go up and saw all the wood from the school and Chapel and people queued for it at 1shilling per bag.  He had his regular customers and as he came down the road he dropped off his bags at 1 shilling each. He had not much wood left and had arranged to sell the (circular) saw when someone broke in and stole it.

I remember going to help at a potato pie tea before we were married, Cyril had Quinsey’s (an abscess near the tonsils) , and he said, “You will be alright, you know Ida Heap”, she was the only one I did know.

We were married at Newchurch in 1939 and lived there 12 months, then we came to 3 Oak Street Dunnockshaw and he resumed his duties as Providence Superintendent, Sunday School Trustees Secretary, and local Preacher.

He was taking the morning service at Providence when War was announced, 11 am September the 3rd 1939.     

We were visiting the Hospital a few months ago when one of the sisters came up to us and said, “Do you know as a little girl what I called this man” we said “no” She said “ I called him Mr Providence, I thought it belonged to him, he was always there”.

Our children were both christened there Ian and Sheila.  Ian and his wife are both active at Rakefoot, he is treasurer and she in charge of the children.  Sheila is active in her Church in Chorley so we have a lot to be thankful for.  I have been in touch with a man who was Church treasurer when it closed to ask if he had anything of interest to you but he said nothing.  I don’t know anyone who can tell you much; it was an ageing congregation when it closed.   My husband could have perhaps have told you more but he died suddenly Jan 17 1999, we were married nearly 62 years, he would have been 88 in may. I must apologise for my writing I fell down 10 days after my husband died and injured my hand rather badly, hence the writing. Sorry I can’t help you more. 

 A.   Morgan.

As the old Cliché goes, they certainly don’t make em like that anymore. I obtained a copy of the 1846-1946 Centenary Souvenir booklet, and both Mr and Mrs Morgan are pictured in it and I will include these below.

 

 

Above is the article that appeared in the Rossendale Free Press in September 1966, the 50th anniversary of the raid.  The map below shows the area of the Zeppelin raid over Rossendale on the 25th of September 1916, with kind permission from Mr Peter J.C. Smith, from his book entitled Zeppelins over Lancashire. (click on image to enlarge)

                                                                                              

 Zeppelin L21

 Two months after the raids by Zeppelin L21 over Rossendale and other parts of Lancashire, the fate of this troublesome airship was sealed. L21 had covered 17 reconnaissance missions, and 10 attacks on England, which resulted in the dropping of 14,442kg of bombs, leaving death and destruction in both in the Midlands,and in Lancashire. On the night of the 27 / 28^th November 1916 the 29-year-old Commander of L21, Kurt Frankenberg, who also commanded L21 in the September raid over Lancashire, was returning from an extended raid involving  nine other Zeppelins. They had been active over Yorkshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire and Commander Frankenberg, whilst steering by way of Peterborough, was brought down eight miles east of Lowestoft, by three defending aircraft with the result she crashed into the sea with the loss of all 17 crew.  The pilots involved in the attack were Flight Lieutenant Egbert Cadbury, Flight Sub Lieutenant Gerard William Reginald Fane, and Flight Sub Lieutenant Edward Laston Pulling. The machine gunners aboard L21 were firing at Pulling during his attack, and as he passed underneath, Pulling began firing into the airship as he did so, his Phosphorous rounds, resulted in the stern of the Zeppelin being ignited. Fane noticed that she “Fell into the sea stern first, like a spent rocket.  It was Pulling who was credited with the L21’s destruction, and he was awarded the DSO, whilst Fane and Cadbury were given DSC’s. 

Incendary Bullets

Three manufacturers produced incendary bullets, but the ones made by Brock the fireworks manufacturer were the most succesful, the bullet core held the incendiary material which was sealed with a base plug, 3 holes in the jacket of the bullet, were sealed by a low melting point metal, coverered by the neck of the cartridge, when fired the heat of the passage up the bore of the gun, melted the plugs and the incendiary ignited on contact with air, only effective out to 200 yards.

 In March 1917 disaster was to strike for Flight Sub Lieutenant Pulling whilst flying the same BE2c aircraft that he attacked L21 with,  whilst perfoming a loop the aircraft broke up in the air, killing himself and his passenger Flight sub Lieutenant J.C. Northrop, both are buried at Great Yarmouth Caister Cemetery.  Below is a photograph of a BE2c of the type flown by Pulling.

  

  

  

 

 

 

The book entitled Zeppelins over Lancashire by Peter J.C.Smith, gives a full and detailed account of the events that took place in Rossendale and other parts of the country during 1916 and 1918, and I would recommend to anyone interested in these events.

 

 

Commemoration cards such as the one above were supplied to the families who lost family members during the Great War. Both Burnley,and Rawtenstall, and probably many other towns did the same. Shown here are copies of some of the actual letters sent in to Rawtenstall Town Hall, by family members of some who are  listed on  Providence Chapel Memorial.  

          

                                                                                                                                                   

 

 

 That concludes the letters that i have for cards for the fallen of Providence Chapel, below are the Memorial Cardsfor the two Spencer Brothers Alfred and Thomas

 

 

 

 

 

There are three men on the war memorial who were killed in the second world war 1939/45, their names are Ivan Shingles, James Wright,and Kenneth Wyld.    Looking at The Commonwealth War Graves Commission register, it  contains just one Ivan Shingles, and he was Sergeant (Flight Engineer) No 1683367,  of the 49 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, killed on the 19th July 1944. He lies in a collective grave in St.-Ouen-Domprot Churchyard, France, with five of his crew members.          Serial number  PB231, this aircraft  was a mark 111 type Lancaster Bomber, and was one of four lost to 49 squadron on an operation to bomb the Railway junction at Revigny France.  Intercepted by a nightfighter they were shot down crashing at St-Ouen-Domprot killing five crew and two being taken prisoner.   Their aircraft took off from Fiskerton U.K. and this was the crews 16th mission.

 

ST. OUEN-EN-DOMPROT CHURCHYARD

The above Graves are of  Sergeant Ivan Shingles and his crew members who perished in the crash of 19/July 1944.

KENNETH WYLD

 Also in the Commonwealth war graves register, there  is  just one Kenneth Wyld,  and he was a cook on H.M.S Mahratta,and he died on the 25th of february 1944, aged 20 and his service No was  D/MX 110280. He was the son of George Augustus and Phyllis Mary Wyld, of Whaley Bridge Cheshire.

HMS MAHRATTA (G23)

Originally ordered as Job No J1114, this ship was intended to bear the name HMS Marksman. However, on the 26th April 1942 Flag Officer Commanding the Royal India Navy signalled the Admiralty that the Mahratta Brigade wished to sponsor a ship on the same basis as the Gurkhas had already done. The change of name was proposed by the ships’ Names Committee on the 4th May 1942 and the consent of the King was received on the 19th May 1942. Scott’s shipyard were notified of the change of name to HMS Mahratta by letter dated 23rd May 1942.

It was perhaps unfortunate that the town of Walsall had already sponsored HMS MARKSMAN via their War Aid Fund, and it is understood that the renaming was not welcome in all quarters, and was not in accordance with the wishes of the ship’s company.

Having been damaged in an air raid on Scott’s in 1941 and subsequently re-erected, she was finally launched on the 28th July 1942, completed on 8th April 1943 and was assigned to the 3rd DF, Home Fleet.

Her commanding officer was LT Cdr E A F Drought DSC RN, who was appointed to the ship on the 18th February 1943.

HH the Maharaja of Dewas presented the ship with a silver plate and two Mahratta antique swords which were kept not on board but in a place of safety during hostilities.

After her work up in April and May 1943 she took part in Operation FH, the relief of the Allied garrison at Spitzbergen, having proceeded there via Seidisfjord during the first week of June.

In July 1943, she participated in Operations Camera and Governor, the large scale simulated raids off Norway already described in the section on Milne.

On 30th July 1943 a cheque for Rs 25,190-4-8 was received from Col C A Strong of the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry in respect of the sponsorship agreed during the ship’s building, and on the same day she accompanied Milne and Musketeer on Operation SF, one of a series of anti U-boat patrols off Iceland.

The next month Mahratta was part escort to the 10th CS on Operation Lorry, when a fast squadron ferried stores to Kola, and again took part in Operation SF, on another anti-submarine sweep described in the section on Meteor.

In September 1943, Mahratta went south for the only time in her short career when she sailed to the Mediterranean to escort the battleship HMS Valiant back to Plymouth where they arrived on the 10th October.

On the 21st September 1943, Mahratta was in the company of Sardonyx, Obedient and Shihari on convoy duty when a report was received from a n aircraft stating that a U-Boat had been sighted in position 62*19’’N, 14*55’’W. The report which was timed at 0727hrs was relayed to the C-in-C at Rosyth, and the ships worked up to maximum speed to intercept the U-Boat. The next signal from the aircraft corrected the position of the U-Boat, but the ships could not make contact with the aircraft which then failed to carry out the correct homing procedure. The result was that a promising situation degenerated into near farce. With no interception made, and two destroyers had to abandon the hunt early next morning because of lack of fuel.

The first convoy of the 1943-1944 season was RA54A, which returned ships which had spent the summer in Kola. The escorts were sent north between 20th and 28th October (Operation FR), the convoy left on 1st November and arrived at Lock Ewe a fortnight later without having been attacked.

With her sisters Milne, Meteor and Musketeer, Mahratta was part escort to convoy JW56B to Russian the last week of January 1944, the destroyers joined the screen on the 26th and this proved to be a very eventful trip for the escorts.

At 0835hrs on the 29th January, PO F Taylor, who was sweeping through the director binoculars, sighted a U-Boat bearing 120 degrees from the ship, and Mahratta gave chase, accompanied by Whitehall who had sighted the U-Boat five minutes after Mahratta. The two ships proceeded at 24 knots, which was Whitehall’s maximum speed, and at 0856hrs the ships opened fire at 11,000 yards range. The U-Boat dived at 0902 hrs after several shots had fallen close, and Whitehall dropped one depth charge at 0912 hrs, but contact was lost, and no damage was believed caused to the U-Boat. Twelve minutes later Mahratta sighted another U-Boat at about 8,000 yards range. Two depth charges were fired as an anti GNAT measure, and both ships turned towards the U-Boat which dived at 0928 hrs .

Whitehall then closed Mahratta, and at 0932 hrs carried out a Hedgehog attack with no apparent result. And asdic contact was lost six minutes later. The search was abandoned at 0948 hrs, and both destroyers turned due north to rejoin the convoy, but a third U-Boat was sighted at 1055 hrs bearing 085 degrees at 7 miles range. Mahratta and Whitehall gave chase at 24 knots, and the U-Boat dived four minutes after being sighted. At 1109 hrs the range was down to 2,000 yards and Whitehall fired one depth charge, and both ships then carried out “Observant”, before Whitehall gained a doubtful asdic contact. Mahratta made no contact at all, and at 1200 hrs both ships broke off the hunt to rejoin the convoy. During the actions described above, Mahratta expanded 34 rounds of SAP ammunition, but the light was not good, making range finding difficult. Lt Cdr Drought stated in his letter of proceedings that he felt that the ranges had been underestimated. Despite several other inconclusive hunts and many other HF/DF and Asdic contacts, the only loss to the convoy was the V class leader HARDY, torpedoed and wrecked by a U-Boat on 30th January and subsequently sunk by Venus. JW56B having arrived in the Kola Inlet on 1st February, Mahratta returned with convoy RA56 as described in previous chapter.

Mahratta’s final voyage commenced on 25th February 1944, when she departed from Lock Ewe as part escort to the cruiser Black Prince (Flag), Berwick and Jamaica which were covering convoy JW57, which consisted of 43 merchant ships.

On the night of 25th February 1944 Mahratta was screening the convoy at 12 knots in position 71*17’’N 13*30’’E about 280 miles off North Cape when she was torpedoed by U-990 in a heavy snowstorm. At 2100 hrs a slight shock was felt and the screws stopped. About five minutes later a much heavier explosion occurred as a result of a second torpedo hit. The ship flooded heavily abaft the engine room, and it is possible that her stern was blown off. She rolled over to port and sank by the stern at 2232 hrs, eleven officers and 210 ratings losing their lives, amongst them PO Taylor, who survived the sinking, but subsequently died of his wounds. The seventeen survivors were rescued by Impulsive and Active.

At the Board of Inquiry into the ships’s loss, held on 9th March 1944, LS T F Tomkins, D/SSX 27960, who was in the director when the ship was hit stated that all communications “were busted” after the first explosion, so he got out of the director and went to the after part of the bridge where he was drenched in oil fuel when the second explosion occurred.

Leading Stoker F A Gaines, D/KX 101319, was in the gearing room when the first explosion, which “wasn’t much of an explosion, more like a bump” took place, he thought at about 2055 hrs. The screws stopped immediately and lubricating oil began to leak from the system. The Chief left the gearing room to go to ascertain what had happened but before he got back there was a much more violent explosion, with a lot of blast and the gearing room filled with oil fuel. Leading Stoker Gaines thought that the 4” gun had come down into the ship, as there was a larger jagged hole where it should have been. He also stated that there was a lot of debris on top of the engine room hatch and on top of the pom-pom. He could not recall seeing any fire or flash, however.

AB W G McDonald, D/FX 103544 stated that he say a flash when the second explosion occurred, and thought he heard the Captain say “Send a signal-Mahratta been hit”, as he (McDonald left the bridge after the first explosion. When asked if the after magazine had exploded he said that he thought that possible, but couldn’t be sure, although a lot of debris was thrown up.

Mahratta was awarded the battle honour Arctic (1943-1944)

Her badge: In front of two swords in saltire white a shied also white on a blue ground.

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 ONGOING.

The third name recorded on Providence War Memorial for the second world war, is that of James Wright,whom i have yet to research.