Two war heroes from Beck Bottom, Hensingham, honoured with memorial

About 50 people attended a ceremony at a new war memorial at Beck Bottom Community Garden in Hensingham on Saturday.

An unveiling ceremony was attended by about 50 people (Image: Submitted)

It commemorates Private Albert Hurst of the 9th Battalion Border Regiment who died aged 27 on August 30, 1917 and Bombardier Francis Ralph Blacklock of 51st Field Regiment Royal Artillery who died aged 29 on January 21, 1942.

Albert lived at 17 Beck Bottom with his wife Mary and their children, Hewitson and Margaret. Francis lived at 19 Beck Bottom and was the husband of Margaret who he had married in 1935. They had four children: Margaret, Raymond, Trevor and Audrey. The houses were demolished in the 1960s.

Bombardier Francis Ralph Blacklock of 51st Field Regiment Royal Artillery died aged 29 on January 21, 1942 (Image: Submitted)

While members of Beck Bottom Community Garden Group were researching the history of Beck Bottom for a new history information board, they discovered that the two men who lived in the houses at Beck Bottom had died in WW1 and WW2.

The men were not commemorated on any other war memorial in Whitehaven - so the group decided to put it right.

The war memorial at Beck Bottom Community Garden which honours two men from Beck Bottom who died in WW1 and WW2 (Image: Submitted)

Margaret Donald, the daughter of Francis Blacklock, who now lives in Perth, Australia, sent a donation towards the new war memorial to commemorate her father and Councillor Ray Gill from Whitehaven Town Council funded the rest.

Lynne Todhunter, treasurer and gardening volunteer, said: “It was a very proud morning for Beck Bottom Community Garden Group and lovely to see so many family members of the two men.”

The Reverend Glynn Jones performed the blessing and dedication ceremony (Image: Submitted)

Dave Todhunter made the introduction, and The Reverend Glynn Jones performed the blessing and dedication ceremony.

Councillor Ray Gill read the Kohima Epitaph and The Exhortation and wreaths were laid in memory of the two brave men by Whitehaven Town Council, Beck Bottom Community Garden Group and The Blacklock Family.

Wreaths laid at the new war memorial at Beck Bottom in Hensingham (Image: Submitted)

The new war memorial has been registered with the Imperial War Museum War Memorial Register.

The group thanked everyone who attended the ceremony on Saturday.