A park in Tottington is now named after one of Bury's First World War heroes
Private Peachment VC Town Meadow Park, was renamed in his memory, after a public consultation and includes a mural about his life. Artist Tony Kelzo was commissioned by Bury Council to create the mural alongside Evan Barlow, at the request of the Borough of Bury Veterans Association.
The son of a barber, he was born on 5 May 1897, went on to study engineering at Bury Technical School and became an apprentice steam engine fitter. His family moved to Tottington where his mother was a teacher at a local school.
Private Peachment was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry given his devotion to company commander, Captain Guy Dubs after the officer had been seriously wounded in combat at the Battle of Loos.
His Victoria Cross citation said:
For most conspicuous bravery near Hulluch on 25th September, 1915. During very heavy fighting, when our front line was compelled to retire in order to reorganise, Private Peachment, seeing his Company Commander, Captain Dubs, lying wounded, crawled to assist him.
The enemy’s fire was intense, but, though there was a shell-hole quite close, in which a few men had taken cover, Private Peachment never thought of saving himself.
He knelt in the open by his Officer and tried to help him, but while doing this he was first wounded by a bomb and a minute later mortally wounded by a rifle bullet.
He was one of the youngest men in his battalion and gave this splendid example of courage and self-sacrifice.