Bangor Welcome home fund

This article appeard in the North wales Chronicle might be of interest



By geoff abbott
A VETERAN of World War Two says it's a "disgrace" that thousands of pounds collected for Bangor servicemen in 1945 has not been spent.

Bill Ashton, 88, served on HMS Victorious for four and a half years during the war and was in the thick of the fighting for most of it.

He said he was "astonished" when told this week by the Chronicle that the Welcome Home Fund set up 63 years aADVERTISEMENT go still has £6,144 in it.

When he returned home to Bangor he was housed in a beach hut used for Italian prisoners of war in "awful" conditions and was given £8 from the fund.

"There was a meeting in Bangor and they wanted the money to go to the cricket club and other clubs," recalls Mr Ashton, who lives in Hirael.

"But it didn't belong to them it was intended for the ex-servicemen of world War Two and I brought this up over twenty years ago.

"That money was a gift and it's got nothing to do with 'who needs what' and I don't give a damn what anybody else thinks," he said.

The Welcome Home Fund was registered as a charity in 1963 and, according to the treasurer Gwyn Hughes, has never been increased except by the bank account interest.

According to the figures on the Charity Commission's website, only £100 of expenditure has come from the fund in the last five years but Mr Hughes who is also Bangor's town clerk believes Second World War veterans do not need the money.

"There aren't that many ex-servicemen in difficulties in Bangor because the welfare state looks after them and there aren't any ex-servicemen that are in dire need of anything as far as I can see," said Mr Hughes, who believes there are only "two or three" veterans left in Bangor.

"I haven't heard of any veterans that are in trouble and if anybody is they can call me," he added.

How to spend the money in the Welcome Home Fund has caused a rift among the ex-services community in Bangor particularly with members of the Royal British Legion.

Some believe that the money should be used for men and women returning from current conflicts such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Eric John, 72, was the former secretary of Bangor's Royal British Legion and said some members had wanted to use the fund for transport to a function and a memorial service in France but he had objected to that.

"We were concerned that if the money was not claimed it would go to a central fund and Bangor veterans would not benefit from it," said Mr John.

"As it stands now any veteran can make a claim from it," he said.




The full article contains 478 words and appears in North Wales Chron Bangor newspaper.Page 1 of 1

Last Updated: 12 November 2008 2:38 PM
Source: North Wales Chron Bangor
Location: Bangor
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