A First World War memorial honouring 24 men has returned to the borough after being found over 100 miles from home.
The historic Heyside Congregational Church Memorial disappeared after the church closed down, eventually finding its way to a military antiques dealer in 2020.
After a campaign to buy back the bronze sculpture, it is now proudly on display at the recently restored Royton Library and Town Hall.
On Sunday 15 December, a special rededication service took place to officially commemorate the memorial in its new home – back in the heart of the Royton community.
The event was organised by the Royton Branch of the Royal British Legion and attended by dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, representatives from the Manchester Regiment and the King’s Regiment Association, as well as the Mayor of Oldham and the Leader of Oldham Council.
Major Eddy Hardaker, President of the Royton Branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “This is the culmination of over four years work and commitment from the branch researchers who rightly wanted the memorial to come back home. We are grateful to everyone who has made this possible.
“It is 101 years since the memorial was first unveiled but it remains just as important a century on. These local men and boys made the ultimate sacrifice, for the security and freedoms we enjoy today. We will never forget them.”
The memorial was originally in Heyside Congregational Church on Hebron Street, Heyside. After storm damage to the roof, the church was demolished and the congregation moved into the Sunday School next door. During recent years the Sunday School needed major repairs and in 2017 the decision was made to close and sell the building.
The parish elders tried to relocate the war memorial but were unsuccessful and it left the building with the remaining contents to an unknown destination. In 2020 researchers from the Royal British Legion Royton Branch, were alerted to a war memorial for sale on the website of a military dealer.
After many months of hard work and demanding research due to covid and lockdown, they eventually identified it as belonging to the Heyside Congregational Church. Contact was made and discussions were held regarding the return of the memorial to Royton.
They learned that it had been found in a barn in Worcestershire, was sold onto a private collector, and then sold to War and Son medals and military antiques in Herefordshire.
The company, which has featured on TV’s History Hunters, removed the memorial from auction and reduced the price to support the community to buy it, saying at the time: “We have a history of reuniting items and this deserves to be seen, admired and appreciated. Hopefully going forward people won’t be so cavalier with their history because, once it has been lost, it is gone forever.”
Money was raised by public donations and the memorial was returned home.
The memorial depicts the figure of peace holding a palm frond, wreathed in laurel and the dates 1914 and 1918 to the cross with the raised lettering: To The Glory of God in Loving Memory of these our Brothers who to Save Us Resisted Even Unto Death.
It also shows the names of those fallen at the base, with the signature of the sculptor Richard Reginald Goulden in the bottom right-hand corner. He was also the sculptor of Crompton’s War Memorial and others across the country.
