WWI hero honoured in stone by town
ACOMMEMORATIVE flagstone is to be unveiled in honour of one of Southport’s most famous war heroes this weekend.
The permanent memorial to Pte George Masters VC will be unveiled this Saturday in a ceremony organised by Sefton Council and the Veterans in Sefton charity.
Pte Masters saved the lives of more than 200 soldiers during WWI by repeatedly driving his ambulance to rescue them from gunfire.
He made four trips under very heavy fire to rescue the wounded who were trapped in a quarry.
For this action, he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, presented by Brigadier General Edwards at a ceremony at Southport Town Hall. A public subscription was set up and a sum of £500 was invested in war bonds and his wife and daughter presented with jewellery.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross one month later, before returning to his home in Churchtown and his civilian job as a chauffeur.
Pte Masters, a well-known racing cyclist before joining the Army, was born in Birkdale in 1877.
He was buried at St Cuthbert’s Church in Churchtown after his death in 1963, aged 86.
The memorial flagstone will be unveiled at the war memorial in Southport in a ceremony at 11am on Saturday, April 21. Members of Pte Masters’s family, the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mayor of Sefton Cllr Dave Robinson and members of Veterans in Sefton will attend.
Before the service, at 10.45am, 238 Sefton Squadron RLC will parade from Nevill Street to the monument while, later in the day, Pelham Drive in Bootle will officially be renamed George Masters Way.
Veterans in Sefton offers support, advice and guidance to current and former members of the Armed Services and their families.
It hosts drop-in coffee meetings at the Norwood Centre at 10.30am12.30pm every Tuesday, as well as sessions in Bootle on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For more information on their services, call 0151 933 0800 or email info@veteransinsefton. org.uk.