Haslingden Gazette - Saturday 19 July 1924 (page 8); report (titled 'Accrington Police War Memorial. UNVEILING CEREMONY BY ALDERMAN BARLOW. P.C.'s WITHALL AND HIGSON') included a photo of the memorial, and the following account:
'The Court Room of the Accrington Town' Hall was the scene of a simple but impressive ceremony on Thursday night, when Ald. John Barlow, J.P., vice-chairman of the Watch Committee, unveiled a memorial to P.C. Walter Harry Withall and P.C. Geo. Myers Higson, two members of the Accrington Police Force who paid the supreme sacrifice in the Great War. The memorial, beautiful in its simplicity, takes the form of a brass tablet with carved oak surroundings, and is placed over the door leading into the solicitors' retiring room. It is the work of Mr. Peel, of Market Chambers, and a member of the Special Police. Among the attendance of police and special police at the ceremony on Thursday were the Mayor (Ald. F. Lord), presiding, the Deputy-Mayor (Councillor E. Woolley), Ald. Barlow, Ald. Waddington, Ald Higham, Aid. Dixon; Councillors John Smith, F. Halstead, Seth Sutcliffe, Tasker, Roberts, Sudall, Barlow and Ellis; Rev. J. Dodd, Chief Constable George Sinclair; Inspector Walling, Supt. Sydney Street, of the Special Police; the Borough Treasurer (Mr. Lever); Borough Surveyor (Mr. W. J. Newton), and Deputy Magistrates' Clerk (Mr. W. Maudsley), and Deputy Town Clerk (Mr. J. Kenyon).
The Mayor said that could not help but be a solemn meeting. Time might be a great healer, but it could never efface the memory of heroes who had served their country and given their lives that we could live. Last week whilst in London he was deeply impressed by the scene at the Cenotaph, and with thousands of others paid due regard to the memory of the fallen heroes. When he went to the Abbey and saw the Unknown Warrior's grave he realised the constant tribute of the world to that warrior. The Italian' Ambassador came and placed his wreath upon the grave, and children from afar did the some, which was an indication of the debt of gratitude every one owed to those who made sacrifices in that terrible time. Ingratitude was one of the basest all sins, but by being present evening they showed they were not ungrateful to those from the Accrington police force who sacrificed their lives. Whilst they were still longing for real peace throughout the world they were not forgetful of those who fought and died that we might live. Ald. J. Barlow, J.P., in performing the ceremony of unveiling that evening brought them back to nearly 10 years ago, when the hue and cry of war was raised. During those years Accrington suffered through death the loss of some real sterling Britishers who during that trying time served their town and country faithfully and well. Indeed. Accrington had every reason to be really proud of its citizens in the answer they gave to the national call.
Take the response of the members of their own police force. Out of 47 men 21 joined up, and here he would like to mention the grand assistance rendered to the Chief by the Specials, who, even to-day were ever ready to respond to the call. He was also glad to find that one of the specials had designed and executed that memorial, and he thought they would agree with him that it was both a credit to himself and to the police. If there was anything pleasing about the ceremony it was to find that friendliness and feelings of brotherhood were still alive, for the whole of the Accrington police force had joined together to erect the memorial to their dead comrades. Out of the 21 members of the Force who went to the war, three were taken prisoners, one escaping; four were wounded and two killed, and the last were those whose names were inscribed on the memorial. One was Walter Harry Withall, who joined the police force in January. 1906, was a reservist of the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays); rejoined his regiment on August 5th 1914. and was killed on Sept. 10, 1914, less than a month after rejoining, and left a widow and two children. The other man killed was George Myers Higson. He joined the Accrington force in October, 1914, enlisted in the County Palatine R.F.A., in May, 1915, and was killed in October, 1916.
"These," added Alderman Barlow, "are sure and certain results of such quarrels, and I entreat anyone to join up with the League of Nations and try and put and end once for all to such devilry."
The memorial having been dedicated by the Rev. J. Dodd, who is a member of the Special Police Force, Ald. Higham, DL., proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor. He said they all felt the sacrifices their comrades made for the country, and it had been a question as to whether the sacrifices had been justified by results. Upon quiet reflection he thought they all felt that, great as was the sacrifice, it was none too great to have saved England and saved the Empire, and as long as they lived they could hand down the tradition to their children that men saved the Empire. What that meant no one could tell. Those of them who had been on the Continent since and seen the conditions there could not help but wonder what would have been the conditions of things in this country if those great, noble fellows had not gone out and made the sacrifice. They could only imagine, for it would have been beyond words to express. He felt that those who were left could never make too great a sacrifice to atone for those who had gone. He was one of those, who felt that they had not done all for the ex-service men that they ought.
He was hoping they might get a lead from higher authorities even yet, because there was still time for them to show their appreciation of the sacrifices made.
The Chief Constable next called upon Police Constable Addyman, who was an old colleague of the late P.C. Withall, being with him in the cavalry, and they being among the first to be engaged with the enemy, to place a laurel wreath at the base of the memorial. Mr. Sinclair mentioned, too, that P.C. Withall was among the first from Accrington to fall on the field of battle. He proposed cordial thanks to all those who had taken any part in the ceremony, remarking that the Rev. Dodd, who had performed the dedication ceremony, had been a special constable from the very first.
The ceremony was brought to a close by Rev. J. Dodd pronouncing the benediction'.
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