|
|
MARTINS
BANK LIMITED Staff Manager’s Department Water Street LIVERPOOL 2nd March 1943 |
|
To the Staff Ladies and Gentlemen One of my first pleasurable duties on our
return to Water Street is to write another informal letter with the desire to
keep you informed on matters relating to the personal side of the life of the
Bank. The ranks of those remaining to carry on work of the Bank have been further depleted by
the insistent claims of National Service and the number of our men colleagues
on permanent staff now away has risen to
1,370. In addition, upwards of 50 of
our women colleagues of the permanent staff have left for the various
services. It is worth noting that these figures
exclude the many members of the temporary, staff whose assistance has been
highly valued whilst they were with us but who have now left the Bank for
National Service. The majority of
these departures followed discussions between the Clearing Banks and the
Ministry of Labour after the issue of the Kennet report. All have good wishes of their colleagues. It is not known yet whether there are to
be any more releases but further discussions are expected to take place shortly on the subject. It is a continuing pleasure to have news of our serving members from various parts of the World
front. It is clear that a number of them are holding positions of much
responsibility and in addition to being grateful to them we can rightly claim
to be proud of their contribution to the cause. W.H,L. Swain of Levenshulme wrote
recently of his experiences in
Central Africa where he was in charge of an important R.A.F. detachment
engaged on liaison work. A.O. Black of Arwick has sent news of his training
in Canada where he says that he and all the R.A.F. are overwhelmed with the
generosity and good heartedness of the Western Canadian people. H.A.Lewe of Curzon street has been afloat in a sloop on convoy duty
to Iceland and also took part in the Oran operations. After a few interesting months in
Palestine, R. Ashburn of Manchester City Office now finds himself attached,
to a fighter group of the U.S. Army Air Force in the Middle East. J.R.Dakin of Morpeth also in the Middle
East was for a time acting as Pay & Accounts Officer at a prisoner of war
camp dealing with the finances of the camp and its 10,000 prisoners. R.G.
Thackeray of Wyke writes from Malta. He refers to
the thousands of miles he has travelled and states he has seen Banks buried
in the jungles of West Africa, situated in the olive groves of Palestine and sweltered in the
heat of Egypt. E.L. Empsall of Leeds
sends news from India – he is in the choir of the Calcutta
Cathedral. J.E.S.Mason of Sheffield
writes cheerfully from Cairo where he had the pleasure of meeting a district
colleague in the person of A.W.J. Roberts of Harrogate who subsequently got into touch with D. Feather of Head
Office and shared an informal lunch with him in the Western Desert. W. Oldroyd of
Bridlington is in North Russia looking after naval stores. He also spens weary days counting and
balancing his cash, consisting as it does of several hundred of thousands of
Roubles. Others of whom we have had welcome news include F. Barton of
Manchester Inspection Staff now with the Faroe
Island Forces, H.C.Page of Bexley Heath who is in charge of a unit of the
R.A.F. in North Africa, W. Howarth of Manchester District Office now
in India, J.D.C. Thompson of London District Office, who moved from India to
Burma and as he puts it “only just got in and only just got out”! His
colleague, Corbett Price, tells of his experiences whilst recuperating in
Palestine after a period in hospital there. In company with a colleague from
the Northern District - (whose' name he does not mention) he hitchhiked from
Jerusalem back to the line again. D.G.West of Anfield Liverpool, who was
wounded in Libya a year ago is now back in England happily making a good
recovery. You will be very interested to
know the soldier on duty shown on Page 27 of the official M.O.I publication
"The Battle of Egypt” is Andrew Heughan of Bingley Branch. A. Morris of
Shudehill has written of his experiences in the big North African convoy. He
was entrusted with the task of exchanging ordinary Dollar and English £ notes
into the special currency the United Nations are using in.the war zones. A.H.Birse
of London Foreign is now with the British legation, in Teheran. I gather that
with his knowledge of languages he was of considerable assistance during
recent important consultations. C.N.C. Windle,of Cheltenham, who is serving on a
destroyer has been stationed in Russia and has had his share of excitement.
Ian Buchanan of Liverpool City Office is,now in North Africa. T.B. Swift of
Waterloo wrote from "somewhere abroad". He referred to the beauty
of the town and the fine Banking premises. He added, feelingly, I imagine,
that the hours of business were 9 - 12.30 and closed all day Saturday! I greatly
regret to have to announce that the following have lost their lives on
service since I last wrote to you – J.N. Gullan of Birkenhead - killed
in a flying accident, A,R..Holmes of Baker St. -
previously reported missing in a raid on Kiel now reported killed. T.H.Morrison
of Southport - killed in a flying .accident. N.T.M.Burrell
of London Office - died
from wounds in Egypt. T.R.Parry of Heywoods -
killed in a flying accident. R.Hounslea of 99,Stanley Road, Bootle. - Died
in prisoner of war camp. T.H.Baird of East Branch,Liverpool - killed in a motor accident, N.F.Ventham of Mottingham - killed in an accident on a flying several
operational flights, R.H.Turner of
Dalton - killed in an
accident abroad M.J.F.Teasdale
of London Office - killed in a flying accident. The
sympathy of all is generously extended to the relatives of these colleagues
and also to those of G.B. Hardman of Cheetham who is posted as missing
believed killed. I also,
regret to have to announce that A.M.
Camplin of Bexhill is missing, following an operational flight. Though it is reassuring to know they
are safe, you will be sorry to learn that the following names have to be
added to the list of members who are prisoners of war. R.S. Hall of Forest Hall, in Italy. W.S.Blaylock of North Eastern District Inspection
staff, previously reported missing, now a prisoner in Italian hands. C.D.Stevens of Westgate, in Italy. A.B.Briggs of St.Annes, a prisoner in
Singapore. Al1
will join in congratulations to G.A. Townsend of Brown Street, Manchester and I.G. Clark of
Ormskirk both of whom have been awarded the Military Cross for their
distinguished work in the Middle East. You
will be pleased and interested to know that Mr Furniss recently wrote to Mr.
Knight Woolley of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, intimating that some of
our staff, in remembrance of his
firm's great kindness in sending parcels to our prisoners of war, would
like to offer hospitality to members of his staff who may be on
service in this country. Mr.Furniss has mentioned to Mr.Woolley that the Bank
has a Rest House at Ambleside and that
we should be very pleased from time to time to offer his members facilities for spending some of their leave there if they would like to do so. An
announcement of our rest period arrangements has already been circulated. I
trust it will be possible to carry it through without interruption, though it
is quite certain that heavier burdens will have to be carried in view of staff
depletion and I must
table a special plea for the utmost co-operation of every member in this
direction. I
would remind you that reservations should be made for accommodation at the
Ambleside Rest House without delay. May I again in your name and on my own
behalf offer a welcome to those who have entered the Bank's service in a
temporary capacity since my last letter. Yours Faithfully
Staff Manager |
|
|
Click HERE to go back |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© gut informiert! 2007 to date |
|
