Bamford & Norden November 2018

The initial inquiry by The Oliver
Committee was held at Middleton
Magistrate’s Court and heard evidence
from Hanlon’s wife that he had been a
happy husband and father, adding that
he had made no particular
complaints about his incarceration.
Staff at Stakehill denied any wrongdoing.
A pathologist, however, reported
marks and bruises on his body and
his neck and witnesses at the inquiry
said that they had heard shouting and
screams as well as threats from the
guards the night before Hanlon was
found dead. Some reported that Hanlon
had told guards to leave him alone,
that he felt dizzy and that the guards
had said ‘You will be dizzier if I come
in there!’ Other witnesses stated that
Hanlon had been ‘treated to a beating’
by three cleaners and three guards and
that ill-treatment was commonplace at
Stakehill. Even with these testimonies,
the inquiry concluded that there was
insufficient evidence to suggest that
brutality had led to Hanlon’s death.
However, by November there was
continued public anxiety about what
had happened at Stakehill and so a
further court of enquiry was set up ‘of a
more authoritative character,’ convened
under the Army Act and therefore a
military inquiry. It was held at Ashton-under-Lyne.
Uriel Evans had by this
time accumulated nearly 300 letters
concerning the conditions at Stakehill
and these were sent to the new inquiry.
Controversially, the press was not
allowed to attend, leading Reverend
Evans to comment about the ‘dark and
well-veiled secrets of the glasshouse’
and suggesting that restricting public
access to the proceedings was
undemocratic, the composition of the
court being entirely military. The result
of the November enquiry maintained
that there might have been irregularities
of procedure only, and that individuals,
not the system, must be held
responsible for any shortcomings that
may have occurred.The individuals
would be reprimanded appropriately.
The Rochdale Observer noted in
December that Hanlon’s was not the
first fatality at Stakehill as 15 months
before another soldier had died three
days after arriving, collapsing,
allegedly during PT exercises.
The case of Michael Hanlon remains
shrouded in mystery but the fact that
the proceedings of the second inquiry
were held in camera and the testimony
from many who knew of the cruelty
dealt out to inmates was ignored,
points to a tragic episode in the history
of wartime Rochdale.
If you have any memories or
comments about the Stakehill
Tragedy, I’d be happy to hear from
you and add them to a growing
Rochdale archive on the subject.
Please contact Gary Heywood-Everett
at garyheywoodeverett@yahoo.co.uk
or leave your comments by text or
recorded message at 01706817449.
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