By Mark Barrow
FOR 96-year-old Una Hanlon, the centenary of the start of World War One brings strong reminders of the bravery and sacrifices her relatives went through 100 years ago.
Una, originally of Ward Lane in Diggle, was born in June 1918 into the Hill family that had been engulfed by the conflict – her father, Tom, and his three brothers, Harry, Charles and Arthur, all fought in the Great War.
Their father died a few years before Britain declared war on Germany but gave his four sons a clear instruction on his deathbed – to ‘stand up and fight for your Country’… which they all did.
Tom, who served in the 1st Manchester Regiment, was stationed with Harry, in the 3rd Battalion, in Cleethorpes but went to the Front Line two weeks before him.
Charles and Arthur both served in the 7th Batallion West Riding Regiment, and returned home after the war with Tom, who became the postmaster in Greenfield for the next 30 years.
Sadly, Harry was killed at Neuve Eglise, France, in February 1915, aged just 38. In a poignant letter to his mother just a week before his death, Harry said he was keen for people of Diggle to remember him and wrote ‘may God bless and guard you until I return’.
A memorial service was held for Harry, who was a member of the Saddleworth National Reserve and the first member to be killed in combat, at Saddleworth Church.
The emotional service was attended by Civilian corps and the Boys’ Brigade all of whom met in Uppermill Square, with music by Dobcross Band.`
Mrs Hill must have expected the worst again when she heard Tom had been badly wounded in action, just a week after Harry’s memorial, and was being brought to Ashton Hospital.
Luckily, the physical wounds were not as serious as anticipated – but it gave Mrs Hill the heart-breaking opportunity to inform Tom one of his brothers had been killed in action.
Later in life, Una’s connection with war continued as she married John Hanlon in June 1939, exactly one year and a day before he went to fight in the Second World War in Burma.
John returned home after the war, and the couple lived happily for many years in Saddleworth until John passed away about ten years ago.
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