Greave celebration day highlights Great War sacrifice

Colonel Glover (third left), Mayor Ian Duckworth (third right) and RBH Chief Executive Gareth Swarbrick (second right) with residents

Greave Community Base welcomed Mayor Ian Duckworth and representatives of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, police and local community groups to a renaming ceremony in commemoration of the World War One battle of Passchendaele.

The Greave Tenants and Residents Association continued an initiative to name places in Rochdale after World War One battles with a strong local connection. Passchendaele House will join Mons Avenue, Verdun Crescent, Jutland Avenue and Marne Crescent in keeping alive the memory of the sacrifices made by local born soldiers during The Great War.

The battle of Passchendaele took place between 31 July and 10 November 1917 with a lost of 35,000 British and Empire lives and 245,000 casualties.

Colonel Glover, of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, said: “Standing here I think back to the local lads who joined up one hundred years ago and found themselves in the battles that this and other streets in Rochdale are named after. Some will be from families who continue to live here. There is a strong local connection with The Great War and today we commemorate that link.”

Mayor Ian Duckworth drew a wider connection for the area, he said: “Thousands of Indian troops were killed or injured in the war. At that time ‘India’ included Bangladesh, Pakistan and Kashmir.

"Many local families will, unknowingly, have a local connection with the war.”

After the renaming ceremony a fun day with a climbing wall, bouncy castle and music provided local children with an entertaining day out.

The event was supported by the Big Lottery Fund, the Co-op and RBH.