Salford has a proud history of military service. Many thousands of men and women from the City have served the Country in conflicts over the last four centuries, most notably, of course, in the two World Wars. In the First World War, many local men served in the Army, the Royal Navy, Mercantile Marine and the Royal Flying Corps. The story of the Salford Pals battalions is a particularly harrowing tale of dedication to duty, bravery, friendship, sacrifice, and finally, tragedy. Salford, with a population of 250,000, raised four Pals battalions, which was more than many larger British cities, such as Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham. During the four year conflict, over 15,000 men served in the four infantry battalions of the Salford Pals. Pals battalions were intended to encourage friends, work colleagues and sports team mates to enlist and serve together, thinking that men who worked and played together would fight together. A noble sentiment, but one that did not take account of the industrial slaughter meted out on the Western Front and one which would have tragic results for the City. On the 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, three battalions of the Salford Pals were churned up in the maelstrom of war as they attempted to storm German trenches in the Thiepval and Authille sectors of the front, losing almost a 1,000 men on this one day alone. The enormity of the sacrifice made by its menfolk in such a short time shook Salford to the core and plunged many areas of the City and its surrounding districts into mourning. Little wonder then that the 1st July was remembered with great sadness for many years within Salford as Thiepval Day.
In the Second World War, the population of Salford was once again on a war footing. Total war meant that everyone was expected to serve the country in some capacity. Many of Salford’s men were called up for service in His Majesty’s Forces, and overage men (some of them veterans of the First World War) and those in reserved occupations joined the Home Guard or other branches of Civil Defence, such as Air Raid Wardens. Women also served in the various branches of Civil Defence, taking their turn as firewatchers, first aid posts or serving in the Auxiliary Fire Service. They served with the armed forces in the WAAF, WRNS or ATS. They also replaced men in the factories of Salford and the Women’s Voluntary Service provided valuable support and comfort, particularly sheltering, feeding and safeguarding families made homeless by air raids. Many civilians in Salford lost their lives in air raids throughout the war, most terribly in the Christmas Blitz in 1940.
Conflicts since the Second World War, including the Malaya crisis, Suez, the Korean War, the troubles in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Gulf War and more recently the conflict in Afghanistan, continue to take the lives of our servicemen and women. The most recent memorial to be erected in Salford was to the memory of Fusilier Simon Annis, of Cadishead. Twenty-two year old Simon was killed on Sunday, 16th August 2009, while serving with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
The Salford War Memorial Project was founded in September 2010 with the aim of finding, recording and cataloguing all of Salford's war memorials for posterity. The sacrifices made by the men and women of Salford to protect our freedom both deserve and demand our attention. The words engraved on the memorials mostly focus on remembrance, with phrases such as ‘Lest We Forget’, ‘Remembered with Honour’ and ‘In Memory’. The least we can do is ensure that they are not forgotten by this and future generations.
Sadly, over time, many of Salford’s older buildings, which may have contained war memorials, have been demolished or re-developed, and some memorials have disappeared. This is why the work of SWARM is so important. The memorials now have an enthusiastic and driven group of champions. So far, in its short but energetic life, SWARM has had many successes, most notably ensuring the safety of the Salford Central Mission Memorial, when the mission building was under development, and discovering the Adelphi Lads’ Club Memorial which, until recently, was believed to have been destroyed in a fire at the club. SWARM has also provided evidence to the ‘In from the Cold’ project to have Sapper James Barnes, who is buried in Swinton Cemetery, recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as a casualty of the war.
SWARM has developed a comprehensive catalogue of Salford’s war memorials and it continues to play a pivotal role in safeguarding these memorials. This website is another great advancement and now people from far and wide will be able to search for the names of their ancestors on Salford’s war memorials.
Another important part of SWARM is the forum which puts people searching for information about their ancestors in touch with specialists and enthusiasts of family and military history who willingly give up their time and share their research for free. For the people behind the forum there can be no greater reward than the realisation that they have helped the descendants of these ex-servicemen and women and added to their memory. At the time of writing the forum has attracted 296 members and has generated over 11,000 posts.
Please enjoy your visit to the SWARM website and spare a thought for the men and women of Salford who gave their lives for our freedom.
In the Second World War, the population of Salford was once again on a war footing. Total war meant that everyone was expected to serve the country in some capacity. Many of Salford’s men were called up for service in His Majesty’s Forces, and overage men (some of them veterans of the First World War) and those in reserved occupations joined the Home Guard or other branches of Civil Defence, such as Air Raid Wardens. Women also served in the various branches of Civil Defence, taking their turn as firewatchers, first aid posts or serving in the Auxiliary Fire Service. They served with the armed forces in the WAAF, WRNS or ATS. They also replaced men in the factories of Salford and the Women’s Voluntary Service provided valuable support and comfort, particularly sheltering, feeding and safeguarding families made homeless by air raids. Many civilians in Salford lost their lives in air raids throughout the war, most terribly in the Christmas Blitz in 1940.
Conflicts since the Second World War, including the Malaya crisis, Suez, the Korean War, the troubles in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Gulf War and more recently the conflict in Afghanistan, continue to take the lives of our servicemen and women. The most recent memorial to be erected in Salford was to the memory of Fusilier Simon Annis, of Cadishead. Twenty-two year old Simon was killed on Sunday, 16th August 2009, while serving with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
The Salford War Memorial Project was founded in September 2010 with the aim of finding, recording and cataloguing all of Salford's war memorials for posterity. The sacrifices made by the men and women of Salford to protect our freedom both deserve and demand our attention. The words engraved on the memorials mostly focus on remembrance, with phrases such as ‘Lest We Forget’, ‘Remembered with Honour’ and ‘In Memory’. The least we can do is ensure that they are not forgotten by this and future generations.
Sadly, over time, many of Salford’s older buildings, which may have contained war memorials, have been demolished or re-developed, and some memorials have disappeared. This is why the work of SWARM is so important. The memorials now have an enthusiastic and driven group of champions. So far, in its short but energetic life, SWARM has had many successes, most notably ensuring the safety of the Salford Central Mission Memorial, when the mission building was under development, and discovering the Adelphi Lads’ Club Memorial which, until recently, was believed to have been destroyed in a fire at the club. SWARM has also provided evidence to the ‘In from the Cold’ project to have Sapper James Barnes, who is buried in Swinton Cemetery, recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as a casualty of the war.
SWARM has developed a comprehensive catalogue of Salford’s war memorials and it continues to play a pivotal role in safeguarding these memorials. This website is another great advancement and now people from far and wide will be able to search for the names of their ancestors on Salford’s war memorials.
Another important part of SWARM is the forum which puts people searching for information about their ancestors in touch with specialists and enthusiasts of family and military history who willingly give up their time and share their research for free. For the people behind the forum there can be no greater reward than the realisation that they have helped the descendants of these ex-servicemen and women and added to their memory. At the time of writing the forum has attracted 296 members and has generated over 11,000 posts.
Please enjoy your visit to the SWARM website and spare a thought for the men and women of Salford who gave their lives for our freedom.
