A WALK that recreated the desperate steps of a mother looking to get her sons recognised on Stalybridge’s war memorial has ‘smashed’ its fundraising target.
And Alex Kershaw received support from the Marshall family itself as two members supported him.
The Royal British Legion volunteer traced the route of Ann Marshall as she appealed to get Fred, Harry and George honoured.
In 1921, she walked from her home at Carr Cottages in Carrbrook to Stalybridge’s centre after they died in action during World War I, aged 20 and 25.
However, the registrar refused to enter their names in the register as in his opinion their house was just on the other side of the border in Mossley, Lancashire.
She walked along Wakefield Road and made her way to the old town hall in Top Mossley only to be turned away again – they are recognised there but that does not contain names.
After being told by the registrar there his colleague in Stalybridge was wrong, she walked back and put forward the case, but the registrar would not move from his original decision.
Ann Marshall decided that she was being pushed from pillar to post by bureaucracy and decided her three boys would be remembered in her mind and heart.
Alex – joined by a number of others, including the RBL’s Peter Edwards – completed his ‘Marshall’s Walk’ on Sunday, October 9.
It had added poignancy as they traced the grave of Ann Marshall and laid flowers in remembrance of her.
He was also joined by cousin of Marshall brothers, Brian, as he set off.
And after setting an initial target by doing the ‘Marshalls Walk’ of £500 for the Friends of Stalybridge War Memorial, Alex surpassed that by more than 10 per cent.
The group hopes to raise the cost of adding to the appeal to extend the Trinity Street site and add names of about 300 people missed off.
Credit to Peter Liggins Photography
Well done all. I’ve just finished a short film script of this heartbreaking story.