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MARTINS
BANK AT WAR – THE WARTIME NEWSLETTERS |
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MARTINS BANK
LIMITED Staff Manager’s Department Water Street LIVERPOOL 2nd March 1943 |
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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 flyingfield after having
taken part in 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
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