Many thanks to everyone who has sent me tributes to members of their family or community who have served our country with such distinction. It is a privilege to receive your stories of such heroism from Copeland.
It is to pay tribute to these people - and so many more - that a commemorative stake for Copeland is being planted this year in the House of Commons Constituency Garden of Remembrance in Westminster.
I’d like to share your tributes received so far, and please continue to send them to [email protected]
Major General Logan Scott-Bowden, CBE DSO MC & Bar, was born in Whitehaven on February 21, 1920, and commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1939.
In 1943, a young Scott-Bowden, already experienced with Special Forces, joined Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP), a small unit which specialised in the clandestine survey of potential sites for the Allied beach landings.
On New Year’s Eve 1943, he and Sergeant Bruce Ogden-Smith, performed a beach reconnaissance of the area west of Ver-Sur-Mer, later known as Gold Beach. Swimming ashore from a landing craft they found that the sand, in places, was thin and supported by weak peat material. This meant the beaches were weaker than planners had expected. This information shaped D-Day landing plans.
Scott-Bowden and Ogden-Smith returned to Normandy from January 17 to 21, 1944. This time they operated from an X-class midget submarine, twice swimming ashore onto sections of what would be Omaha Beach. On D-Day they assisted in piloting the initial American landings on Omaha Beach before Major Scott-Bowden went on to command 17 Field Squadron for the remainder of the War.
After World War II, he had operational service in Burma, Palestine, Korea, Aden and lastly in Northern Ireland. Here he was given the challenging task of forming the Ulster Defence Regiment. After retirement from active service, Scott-Bowden served as the Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers from 1975 to 1980.
Courtesy: Aaron Butterworth
A regiment to remember would be the Tyneside Irish Brigade (Lord Kitchener's Pals Battalion).
The Tyneside Irish Brigade roots start in Ireland 1847. During the "potato famine", many men and women left their homes and emigrated to America, Australia and New Zealand. Large numbers came to Great Britain and those heading for the north east looking for work in coal, iron, ship building and railways landed mainly at Whitehaven and other ports of the west coast.
Many of the Irish immigrants that landed in Whitehaven decided to settle in the area to work in the mines. The links to Copeland were established via the towns of Whitehaven, Cleator Moor, Frizington, Egremont and Millom.
The Tyneside Irish Brigade was formed in November 1914 and disbanded February 1918 and many men from Copeland enlisted with the Tyneside Irish Brigade due to their Irish links.
There were four Battalions - 24th Red Shamrock, 25th Blue Shamrock, 26th Purple Shamrock and 27th Black Shamrock - and were part of the Northumberland Fusiliers.
Courtesy: Peter Burns
Sgt Alan Rodgers, RAF Ferry Command, was from St Bees, Cumberland.
Just days after he had celebrated his 21st birthday, Sgt Rodgers was killed by enemy action on April 7, 1943, while making his fifth Atlantic crossing, ferrying newly-built but unarmed Catalina flying boats from Montreal to Largs in Scotland.
Courtesy: Bob Jopling
I would like to share the story of Stephen Pettit, who has been the Hostel Manager at Calderwood House in Egremont for the last three years.
He continues to inspire those who have found themselves homeless after leaving the Army and his commitment (not just to veterans) but his community is truly humbling. I am blessed to have Stephen as my wing-man through Covid and beyond. Calderwood House is only the success it is today due to Stephen and his leadership.
In Stephen’s own words, he says: “As a child I always had a fascination about the Armed Forces so when I was old enough I first started by joining 4th Bn The Kings Own Royal Border Regiment at the Workington TA Centre back in 1996. I thoroughly enjoyed it so when the opportunity came to join the regular Army I snapped it up without hesitation in 1997 and then I served with the 1st Bn The Kings Own Royal Border Regiment.
“During my career I travelled to some amazing countries including Germany, Croatia, Cyprus, The Falkland Islands and two operational tours of Bosnia. My last posting on promotion to a Corporal was to the Infantry Training Centre to train new recruits however my career was cut short due to a injury following an accident while on duty and I was discharged towards the end of 2003.
“Following my medical discharge I went through difficult times until I was helped by the amazing Royal British Legion so as a thankyou I offered to do some voluntary work for them as a Welfare Case Worker, this was brilliant as I was doing for Veterans what the Legion had done for me but this also gave me something to put on my CV.
“I have and always will miss serving in the Regiment as my career was cut short and taken away from me but, I touch base with an old identity by volunteering in Cumbria Army Cadet Force, something I am incredibly proud of as I get to see the younger generation turn into fine upstanding citizens and I get a sense of achievement in the knowing that they are our nation’s future and I help them on the right path into adulthood.”
Courtesy: Rachel Holliday, Calderwood House
My Great Granda Private Thomas McCombe was sadly taken from us on July 1, 1916, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Named after his father, Thomas was the kindest, gentlest person you could meet and, in addition to his six siblings, never had the privilege to grow up knowing his dad because he was taken from them at the age of 37.
We must never be allowed to forget the sacrifices made by people like Thomas McCombe who is listed on the Roll of Honour in St Begh’s Church on Coach Road, Whitehaven.
Courtesy: Julie Pennington, Whitehaven
I have two great uncles that worked on the River Kwai “death railway”. They were captured at Singapore on February 15, 1942. Later they were sent on a five-day train journey, 35 men in a steel railway wagon of sorts and then a five-day march through virgin jungle to work on the “death railway”.
On completion, they were sent back to Singapore and transported by the Japanese ship Hofoku Mary in cramped, terrible conditions.
The ship was bombed by American planes who unfortunately did not know the circumstances. Approximately 900 men were lost that day - September 21, 1942.
Their names were Private Albert Catterall 5956862 and Private John Catterall 5952645. Lest we forget.
Courtesy: Gail Crossman, South Copeland
Our very own Victoria Cross winner from Silecroft, Tom Mayson, is buried at St Mary's Church, Whicham. He won his VC at Passchendale.
On July 31, 1917. at Pilckem Ridge, Wieltje Salient, Belgium, when his platoon was held up by machine-gun fire, Lance-Sergeant Mayson, without waiting for orders, at once made for the gun which he put out of action with bombs, wounding four of the team; the remaining three of the team fled, pursued by Lance-Sergeant Mayson to a dug-out where he killed them.
Later, when clearing up a strongpoint, this NCO again tackled a machine-gun single-handed, killing six of the team. Finally, during an enemy counterattack he took charge of an isolated post and successfully held it until ordered to withdraw and his ammunition was exhausted.
Courtesy: Mark James
My uncle John Raymond Hoggarth, son of William and Violet Hoggarth of Millom, was a member of the 6th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers.
John's nickname was Porky and was a Lapstone Road schoolboy who lived in company houses belonging to Hodbarrow Mining Company where his father worked.
Called up, he was drafted into one of the Scottish regiments. A photograph shows him in the K.O.S. Bs. Kings Own Scottish Borderers, but as casualties were heavy in the early days, after D-Day men were put into different battalions. This must have been the case with John, as he was in the with the Royal Scots Fusiliers when they attacked Caen on July 8, after a 500-bomber raid on July 7, followed by heavy artillery barrages.
Casualties were heavy on both sides, as the battle went on for days. John died in action aged 22 on July 11, 1944, and is buried in St Manvieu Cheux War Cemetery in France.
I can never forget him and always put a cross for him at Millom Cenotaph.
Courtesy: John Hoggarth