Manchesterio forum

I am a Scandinavian living in Vilnius married a Lithuanian girl. My wife's grandfather died in Machester in 1968. Her sister visited the grave in St Joseph's Cemetery in Moston where he was buried. But his name was not on the Lithuanian tombstone which was erected there in 1951 (Manchesterio lietuvių Paminklinis Kryžius).

Does anybody know if it is possible to get his name engraved on this stone, and whom to contact?

[quote author=Jonas link=1195552009/0#1 date=1195581266]When this plot was full, another was bought close to it and is engraved with Ausros Vartu Marija. Those buried in this plot are listed on this monument. [/quote]

Thank you very much for the reply.  We have photos from the funeral in 1968 and he was buried very close to the tomb. These pictures are uploaded here: [url]http://jan.jankrogh.com/IMAGES/antanas[/url]

[quote author=Jonas link=1195552009/0#1 date=1195581266]What was the surname? There are a few old people still with us and we can ask them.[/quote]  

We would indeed appreciate that very much.  His name was Antanas Bagočiūnas (1908-1968), and he came from Utena.  Maybe you will recognize some of the persons on the pictures.

It appears to me that there are buried many more persons than there are names on the monument. Next to it stand seven flowerpots with engraved names.  Could this be persons who neither got their names on the monument, but who are buried there?  There are about 40 names on the monument itself plus seven names next to it.  How many in total might rest here?

:)  Thanks very much.  Maybe you could provide us with contact info of this small company which is doing this kind of service?

We are still very interested to get in contact with anybody who knew Antanas.  We have some photos which he left. On at least one of them a teenage girl is appearing. She should now be about 50 years old.

Kestutis, thank you very much for your information. Now we know whom to contact!

In 1944 Antanas had to leave his wife and children in Lithuania and he never met them later. There was some correspondance between priest Kamaitis and his family after his death. Is Kamaitis still alive?
Who were the men (and women?) who came to Manchester, and why exactly did they settle down in Manchester?

Jonas, thanks a lot. We have already sent the workshop an e-mail. It's great priest Kamaitis is still alive. Hopefully Antanas' granddaughter who now is living in London might see him. Kamaitis sent many long letters as well as parcels to Antanas' widow.

[quote author=Jonas link=1195552009/0#7 date=1195837189]Some names of people in the funeral photo: Kupstys, Jeloveckas, Dubickas, Lauruvėnas, Kublinskas.[/quote]
Do you know if any of these men still is alive?

[quote author=Jonas link=1195552009/0#7 date=1195837189]Most of the Lithuanians in Manchester at the end of the 1940s were Displaced Persons (Dievo paukščiukai) and came here from camps in Denmark and Germany to work in the factories and textile mills. [/quote]
If I have understood the history right most Lithuanians who went to Germany were young "plechavičiai" who had enlisted at bars etc. in Lithuania. But General Plechavičius himself [URL=http://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Povilas_Plechavi%C4%8Dius]went to Germany already in 1941.[/URL] Antanas must have left in 1942 and did not return to Lithuania later. [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Povilas_Plechavi%C4%8Dius]Plechavičius'[/URL] [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Lithuanian_Detachment] Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force [/URL] of 1944 must have been recruited only by volunteers from inside Lithuania, and if I am right, the "plechavičiai" located in Germany were not sent east to fight the Red Army? Why not?

Later I intend to post some photos of Antanas and his friends in Manchester.

I have now updated the Internet page with some live photos of Antanas and his friends. We are lacking information about whom and what they are picturing. Maybe somebody here can comment them?

[url]http://jan.jankrogh.com/IMAGES/antanas/index.html [/url]

Thanks again for your comments. We appreciate very much the information we get from you and Jonas. Since we know so little about the Lithuanians' life in Manchester everything we learn is very interesting.

I have myself served as a soldier in a warzone and experienced what Jonas tells about individuals who have to go from one side to another during a conflict.