A poignant ceremony took place to honour the only woman in Bolton to die on active service in the First World War, as a memorial recognising her sacrifice was unveiled. Representatives from the armed services joined local councillors, MPs, Greater Manchester Lord Lieutenant Mrs Diane Hawkins, Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet, Flight Sergeant Oliver Teggart and the Mayor of Bolton Cllr Andy Morgan for a service at the unveiling of a statue to recognise Alice Thomasson. It has been placed in the Bolton Road Egerton Street triangular junction garden.
A cotton mill worker, Alice joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in late 1917. She was one of 57,000 women who served between January 1917 and November 1918. Alice Thomasson (Image: Newsquest) In May 1918 she sailed to France where she was posted to a camp, hospital and army supply depot at Abbeville.
But tragedy struck just three days later when the Germans launched a bombing raid. A bomb landed on the trench where Alice, aged 21, and her colleagues were sheltering, killing her and seven other women. The women were all buried with full military honours at Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension.
The memorial is at Moses Gate, Farnworth , close to where Alice was born and lived. The sides of the monument now display commemorative plaques previously located in All Saints Church, Devon Street, Moses Gate, until the Church was closed in 2000. Friends of Moses Gate led by Chairman Jim Clarke campaigned for the memorial, and fundraised to pa.