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No.4354

£1.45

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N A MEMORABLE DAY IN 1915 THE PEOPLE OF CHELBY, A PROSPEROUS O MANUFACTURING TOWN IN THE ENGLISH MIDLANDS, TURNED OUT TO CHEER THEIR MENFOLK AS THEY MARCHED PROUDLY DOWN THE HIGH STREET BEFORE DEPARTING FOR THE WESTERN FRONT.

MY BROTHER HARRY AND THE CHELBY CHUMS TOGETHER IN A PALS BATTALION. WHAT I WOULDN’T GIVE TO BE GOING WITH THEM.

STORY ALAN HEBDEN ART VILA COVER IAN KENNEDY

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4 BEFORE CONSCRIPTION WAS INTRODUCED IN 1916, THE BRITISH ARMY RELIED ON VOLUNTEERS TO FILL ITS RANKS. TO ENCOURAGE ENLISTMENT SO-CALLED “PALS” BATTALIONS WERE RAISED IN WHICH ALL THE YOUNG MEN OF A PARTICULAR TOWN COULD SERVE IN THE SAME UNIT, AS IN THE CASE OF THE CHELBY CHUMS. BARRY DANEBLOOD, STILL ONLY SIXTEEN, WASN’T OLD ENOUGH TO JOIN UP. INSTEAD, HE FOLLOWED THE PARADE TO THE RAILWAY STATION.

THEIR TRAIN DOESN’T LEAVE FOR AN HOUR YET, SO I’LL HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE TO HARRY.

HIS ELDER BROTHER HARRY HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE A LANCE-CORPORAL AND BARRY FOUND HIM AT THE STATION HOLDING A MOCK INSPECTION OF HIS UNIFORMED FRIENDS.

PRIVATES STANDFAST, ROTHERSON, MILLDROP, CLEAVEWORTH, BARKFORD, PEGMERE AND FUTTLESTOW, YOU ARE A COMPLETE SHOWER!

THAT’S BECAUSE WE’RE THE CHELBY CHUMS.

AYE, AND YOU CAN TELL FROM HIS NAME IF HE’S A CHELBY LAD!

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5 IT WAS AN OLD SAYING LOCALLY AND AN ACCURATE ONE. CHELBY WAS CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY THAT BOASTED A STRING OF DISTINCTIVE FAMILY NAMES.

MY LITTLE BROTHER — A CHELBY LAD TO THE BONE. WHEN THE NEXT PALS BATTALION IS RAISED, HE’LL BE THE FIRST TO JOIN.

FOR ALL THAT, WHEN THE TRAIN FINALLY LEFT BARRY WAS LEFT WONDERING WHAT THE FUTURE HELD.

WHEN THE WAR STARTED, EVERYONE SAID IT WOULD BE OVER BY CHRISTMAS, BUT IT’S STILL GOING. IS IT EVER GOING TO END?

YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN.

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6 DURING THE MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED, CHELBY WENT ABOUT ITS BUSINESS AS USUAL BUT IT SEEMED TO BARRY THAT IT HAD BECOME A STRANGELY MUTED PLACE SINCE THE DEPARTURE OF THE CHUMS.

THE LADS WERE THE HEART AND SOUL OF CHELBY. WITHOUT THEM IT’S BECOME A BIT OF A GHOST TOWN.

SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE WAR WAS STILL RAGING UNABATED AND, IF ANYTHING, SEEMED TO BE GROWING IN INTENSITY. THIS CULMINATED IN ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE LOSSES DURING THE ILL-FATED BATTLE OF THE SOMME.

KEEP GOING FORWARD...

UUURGH!

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They marched off to war

together, the young men of the town. Proud to serve their country and happy to fight alongside their mates. But the Western Front in the First World War was a place of nightmares and the town’s nightmare came true when the company of pals was wiped out.

When the evil of war once more engulfed Europe, the military authorities made sure that, whatever casualties they had to suffer, never again would one town lose all its young men at once. It seemed, though, that fate hadn’t got the message

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