IF the soldiers of the Manchester Regiment were expecting life to get easier in 1945, they were wrong. The Second World War was quickly replaced by the Cold War and the Manchesters found themselves on the front line.

They were posted to newly-divided Germany, ready to rebuff any Soviet advance, and to Malaya where the British Army was fighting communist guerrillas in a bloody end-of-empire conflict.

In “The 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment 1945 - 1958” Captain Robert Bonner gives a fascinating insight into the military, social and family life of the last 13 years of a proud infantry regiment which had served the line for two centuries. He tells the story of the regulars and of the vital support they received from young men called up for National Service.

On Friday, April 26, (noon to 1pm) Captain Bonner will be signing copies of the book in the Museum of the Manchester Regiment at Ashton-under-Lyne Town Hall. “The 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment 1945 - 1958”, which costs £18, has 200 pages, three maps and 125 photographs, plus an extensive index of individuals.

Cllr Jackie Lane, Tameside Council’s project lead for heritage and tourism, said: “Captain Bonner’s books are well known. They’re always extremely well researched and provide a vital link to Ashton’s many years as a garrison town.”

For more information, contact Garry Smith.
Call into the museum, phone 0161 342 2254 or e-mail: garry.smith1@tameside.gov.uk