Bells chime on for war heroes

St Thomas Leesfield bellringers. They have been marking the deaths of former bellringers who died in the first World War. PIC shows Brian Hayes..

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A GROUP of church bell ringers have commemorated former members who died during the First World War by sounding a series of peals ­- and discovered that their church lost the second-highest number of ringers in the devastating 1914-18 conflict.

Ringers at St Thomas Leesfield Church, in Lees, performed in memory of Privates Tom Schofield, Thomas Gibson and John Binns, who were all bell ringers at the church.

Change

The group has also been visited by a historian from London, who is researching bell ringers and brought two remembrance books from St Paul's Cathedral to show them.

Brian Hayes (70), a retired draughtsman from Clarksfield, has rung the bells at Leesfield as man and boy. He started aged just 13 when his brother, Frank, sang in the choir.

Mr Hayes said: "We've rung a series of arrangements, called peals and quarters, in August and September to remember the 100th anniversaries of the deaths of the three soldiers who rang bells.

"We are known as change ringers and are members of the Lancashire Association of Change Ringers, which has branches across the region. We're in the Rochdale branch and have a number of members who live in this area. We also ring bells at a number of local churches and are joined by other members from Oldham, Halifax, Westhougton and Heptonstall."

Talking about the First World War connections, he said: "We were recently visited by Alan Regin from the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers in London. Alan is the council's steward of the rolls of honour, which commemorate ringers who fell in the first and second world wars.

"He brought along two leather-bound books of remembrance, which are made from vellum and normally kept in St Paul's Cathedral. The first was produced after the first war in 1920 at the cost of £25 and contains the names of the bell ringers who died. It includes the names of First World War battlefields with illustrations of bell ropes intertwined with barbed wire. However, it became full and more names of others who died in the war needed to be added.

"Mr Regin commissioned a new remembrance book, costing almost £5,000 in today's money, and has been researching the stories of bell ringers. The names of bell ringers are shown in alphabetical order and further names can be added if required."

Tower

Mr Hayes said the London visitor told them that, apart from a tower in the North-East of England, St Thomas Leesfield lost the second-largest number of ringers from one church tower during the 1914-18 war.

Pte Schofield was in the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1st/7th Bn. He died on September 3, 1916, aged 20, during the battles for Pozierers Ridge. He was the son of James and Sarah Schofield of High Street, Lees, and worked as a house painter before leaving for France in April, 1915. He enlisted at Uppermill. He is commemorated at Thiepval Memorial, France, on pier and face 6A and 6B.

Pte Thomas Gibson died on September 9, 1916, age 26. He was in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 1st/4th Bn and is commemorated at Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, France, on grave XVIII. A. 5.

He was the son of Thomas and Mary Ann Gibson, of Church Street, Lees. He worked as a minder at Lees Union Mill before initially joining the Manchester Regiment then the King's Liverpool Regiment before transferring to The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He was born in Leigh and enlisted in Oldham.

The third ringer was Pte John Binns, who died aged 30 on August 21, 1915. He served in the 8th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) and was the son of Hannah Binns, of Springhead. He enlisted in Keighley, where he was born, and is commemorated at the Helles Memorial in Turkey on panel 117 to 119.

Mr Hayes said new members of all ages are welcome to join the St Thomas Leesfield group. The group practises on Tuesdays at 7.30pm and performs regularly at a number of local churches including Oldham Parish Church.

He added: "Change ringing is a historic English tradition. There are around 5,000 church towers in England compared with 40 in Scotland, 30 in Wales and 30 in Ireland.

"New members welcome. No experience needed."

For details, call Mr Hayes on 0161 652 6980 or email: brianhayes55@ya hoo.co.uk.

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