The Volunteer - NWRFCA - Northwest Reserve Forces & Cadets ...

PEOPLE & PLACES
LtoR: Col Martin Amlot, Very Rev Justin Welby, Brig Mike Griffiths, Councillor Mike Storey and Lt Col Ray Hughes.
Dedication of New Standard
Volunteers from 4 LANCS paraded at
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral for the
dedication of a new standard for the Liverpool
branch of the King’s Regiment Association.
Memorial
for a TA Hero
By Kgn Houghton, D Coy 4 LANCS
Six soldiers from D Coy 4
LANCS travelled from
Ardwick Green TAC to
Hyde Town Hall to represent the
Regiment for the unveiling of a
blue memorial plaque
commemorating the bravery of a
Manchester Regiment soldier, Cpl
Kenneth Horsfield, during World
War II. Here Kgn Houghton tells
the story:
“Cpl Horsfield was a TA soldier
who served with the 9th Bn, The
Manchester Regiment before
being seconded to the SAS. On
August 18, 1944, Cpl Horsfield
was working in Italy, helping to
prepare supplies to be dropped to
Yugoslav Partisan resistance
forces when an explosion
occurred, killing three men and
injuring three others. Cpl
Horsfield, who was working
nearby, was one of the first on
6 THE VOLUNTEER www.nwrfca.org.uk
The service was conducted by the Very
Reverend Justin Welby, Dean of Liverpool,
and the occasion was supported by Brig Mike
Griffiths, Colonel of the Regiment, Col Martin
the scene. After seeing a man
lying trapped inside the burning
building, Cpl Horsfield went in to
try to rescue him, with total
disregard to his own safety. He
did this knowing a second
explosion was imminent, and
had ordered others at the scene
to retreat to a safe distance.
“Cpl Horsfield was
posthumously awarded the
George Cross (GC), the highest
award for conspicuous courage
out of battle as published in the
London Gazette on 23rd March
1945. On 7th April 1945 he
featured as one of ten
Personalities of the Week and
People in the Public Eye in the
Illustrated London News. At his
funeral, attended by 350
mourners, a choir of 20 Yugoslavs
sang. Cpl Horsfield was buried in
Bari War Cemetery in Italy.
Cpl Draper, Kgn Houghton, Cpl Mills, Kgn Nicholls, Fus Tse,
and Kgn Ryan at the unveiling ceremony
“The unveiling was a quite
sombre occasion, but mixed by an
obvious sense of pride in the
soldiers’ actions. Cpl Horsfield is
the only person from Hyde to
have been awarded the George
Cross and it was good to see that
the bravery of a soldier had not
been forgotten in the community
where he had grown up.
“After providing a guard of
honour during the unveiling we
had our pictures taken with
Amlot, Regimental Secretary, Lt Col Ray
Hughes, CO 4 LANCS, and Councillor Mike
Storey, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool.
several dignitaries and family
members and were treated to very
tasty lunch and some drinks,
before making our way back to
Ardwick. During the course of the
day I found myself reflecting on
the courage shown by a man who
at the time was younger than I am
now. Hopefully, the blue plaque
will spark the same reflection in
others and remind us of the
sacrifice made the by men and
women in uniform during both
World Wars and in conflicts since.”