Todays post is from Scott Nelson.

Scott says "

I very much enjoy the old pictures, and some not so old, pictures of Hyde and surrounding area. I've been transferring some old (well not very) pictures to a new computer and came across a few I had taken with my then, new 'phone from the top of the multi-storey car park in Hyde.

They show the view across the Clarendon Place rooftop towards Flowery Field Church, over the Beeley Street car parks and Iceland towards St. Georges Church, and Social Security building/Supermarket with John Grundy house and The Queens at either side.

Given that it's now wrapped up prior to becoming a chicken outlet, the chance to take photos like these has now past."

Thanks Scott, I've never been a fan of the car-park... but it served a purpose. As for KFC I know I'll like that less... far to many food outlets, and most of them stink.  What a shame to see the town going the way it is at the moment.

Frank Wortley Pinkerton (Sergeant Pilot)

Frank Wortley Pinkerton was a Hyde man, born in 1913. Before WW11 he was working at the Leathercloth Division of I.C.I. Newton.

During the war he was a Sergeant Pilot with 12 Squadron RAF at Wickenby. On the night of 29th/30th March 1943 he was the pilot of Lancaster Bomber W4858, coded PH-A, on an attack on Berlin. The aircraft was hit by flak over the target, and on the homeward leg both starboard engines failed while they were over Holland. Sgt Pinkerton gave the order to abandon the aircraft, and he kept the crippled bomber steady while his crew baled out, being the last one to jump when they were all clear.

Of the seven crew, two were killed,  and four were taken prisoner, leaving only Sgt Pinkerton to evade capture. He was helped by the Dutch resistance movement to get to Belgium, and from there a network of people guided him, mainly on foot, through Belgium, France, across the Pyrenees into neutral Spain, and home via Gibraltar.

On his return to Britain he took up his duties with the RAF again, and gained a Commission in October 1944. After the war he took up a career in civil aviation with British European Airways. He was married in 1945, and they had their first child, Robert, the following year.

On August 19th 1949, Captain Pinkerton was flying ex-RAF  BEA Dakota G-AHCY  From Belfast to Ringway, Manchester, with 2 other crewmembers and 29 passengers. Due to a navigational error, they descended  through cloud on their approach to Ringway and crashed into Wimberry Stones Brow, Dovestones, Saddleworth. 

The crew of 3 and 21 of the 29 passengers were killed as the aircraft disintegrated and caught fire. Workers from the nearby Greenfield paper mill were amongst the first to arrive at the scene to assist the injured. 

An undercarriage leg at the bottom of the slope and a few small scraps higher up at the crash site is the only remaining evidence of the terrible accident today. 

Looking Down from the crash site

Looking up to the crash site

At the time of the crash, Mrs Pinkerton was expecting their 2nd son, Richard. Their home was at Wallasey. In his pre war days, Frank was a keen hiker, and by coincidence the area where he crashed was one of his favourite walks.

Thank you to David Hamilton  for this excellent post.

Albert Rushton

Request

I am the Grandson of Alfred Rushton.

As there has been so much interest of WW1 recently I looked again at various aspects of his life. I knew he had a connection with the Newton cricket club. Also his name appears on the Victoria Street monument. If anyone reading this could supply any further information of my Grandfather I would be most grateful.

Many thanks Eddie.