1950 - it will have been Ashton Borough Council then (which was a predecessor authority to Tameside). The only significant event for that year listed on the Council's website is the opening of the Manchester - Ashton trolley bus service on 1 March.

John

Aww, bless.....

Anyway, here is the whole text:

 Ashton_Plaque_cropped.jpg ( 57.82K ) Number of downloads: 17


Picture of the facade in Graeme's drill hall thread here, post 451.

Gwyn

the 5th battalion Manchester regiment doesn't exist anymore, being a victim of the regimental amalgamations

a quick check on the Army site says there's a Medical Terrier unit in Ashton, the closest unit with a connection would be the Kings Cheshires at Ardwick

Thanks, Chris. So no-one marches around Ashton with bayonets fixed, drums beating and flags flying any more.

(Sorry - unclear photo. It says 9th.)

Gwyn

yes my mother in law,but they wont lock her up, bernard

where did I get the 5th from? it would be a bloody long march from Wigan!

not for a soldier of the manchester regt,thats a mere stroll to the paper shop for them

here is the closest you'll probably get to seeing the original, it's from an architects drawing prior to the building getting built ( Bob Bonner, Volunteer Infantry of Ashton)

the drill hall was opened in 1887, for the 7th Lancs Rifle Volunteers (in 1888 they became the 3rd Vol Batt Manchester Regiment)

(all courtesy of Bob Bonner, Volunteer Infantry of Ashton)

Thanks ever so much for pursuing this, Chris. I'd love to see the original architect's drawing in detail. Can ordinary people like me view it anywhere?

I've just seen the architect's front elevation on the Drill Hall thread. Brilliant! I'm going to compare it with a contemporary photo. It's a fantastically detailed building which seems to have been faithfully constructed, give or take a turret or two.

Cheers.

Gwyn

This post has been edited by Dragon: Dec 29 2005, 01:23 AM

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The Ashton-under-Lyne Armoury was opened on Saturday 11 June 1887 (read 'Volunteer Infantry of Ashton' etc) The architect was John Eaton & son, one of whom was the commanding officer at the time. The original architect's drawing of the barracks is held in the Tameside Achives municipal archives not the Manchester REgiment archives.

The question of the defaced shield above the entrance has, I understand, been the subject of discussion by the Old Comrades for a number of years and nobody has produced a satisfactory answer. Because it was always the same basic unit despite title changes I don't think that anyone ever damaged it because of a change of designation. The one possibility is that some enthusiastic person in 1940 decided to remove any military identification in the same way that road signs and milestones etc were removed in the event of a German invasion. What is needed is a good between the wars photo of the exterior. That might help.

Regarding the Freedom of Ashton and the plaque on the outside wall. Every Regiment takes great pride in exercising its Freedoms and the 9th Manchesters did exactly that on very many occasions between 1950 and their demise in 1971. The Freedom of the present day Tameside Municipal Borough has been given to the regular army successor Regiment - The Kings' Regiment - and that Freedom has also been exercised regularly and will hopefully be carried out again this year. Service commitments permitting.

A new exhibition on the 9th Manchesters has opened in the museum corridor this week - lots of interesting photographs and objects. Don't miss it. Incidentally the Ashton Branch Old Comrades of the Manchester & King's Regiment Association have their HQ in the old officer's mess in the Armoury and meet regularly.

Thanks for the info, Bob. I'll pop along and see the new exhibition - I presume it'll be on for a while.

John

I can see Captain James Stuart Eaton as well as Lt Col John Eaton in the 7th LRVs, and a Pte James Eaton, I wonder if he was promoted from the ranks?

Great info, Bob.

The drill hall project is indebted!

Graeme

and here's the 1st batt exercising it's freedoms in Manchester



that colour party certainly seems to be enjoying themselves