She left the classroom . . . and was never seen again

The balmy weather looked set to continue for the pretty six-year-old girl, with pink ribbons in her hair, who had just finished a week in the classroom polishing up on her three Rs.

Sheila had been waved off by her mother that morning, smartly dressed in a pretty blue flowered frock, green coat, stockings and shoes.

She had been hard at her studies all day, stopping only to enjoy a school dinner before waiting for the home-time bell.

Now, it was Friday afternoon and that brought the prospect of two days playing out with her New Bury mates, two days of hide-and-seek and skipping.

The worries of the Second World War lay far from her mind as she chatted animatedly with her friends about what she planned to do on Saturday and Sunday.

In fact the child's optimistic mood was mirrored by the nation.

As Sheila planned her weekend fun and games, so the country's leaders were putting the preparations together for the final push that would win the Second World War.

That Friday, as Sheila headed home, American tanks were within 12 miles of Paris as General Eisnehower's troops forced their way through enemy fire.

It was August 18, 1944, and the Allieds were close to victory.

But Sheila Fox would never celebrate the repatriation of France and demise of the German forces.

And she would never taste the jelly and sandwiches served at street parties around the town, as residents later celebrated the end of the war.

At some point as she made her way home to her family's house on Macdonald Avenue, New Bury, Sheila Fox disappeared, never to be seen again.

Within hours of reports that she was missing an exhaustive search of the Farnworth area began.

Young playmates of Sheila told how they had seen their friend riding on the crossbar of a mystery man's bicycle.

Another school friend said she had seen Sheila walking with a man. Her young pal even asked Sheila where she was going.

The six-year-old girl is said to have replied: "I am going with this man."

Whoever Sheila was with and wherever she planned to go one thing is certain -- by teatime she had not returned home and her parents were becoming increasingly concerned.

That night police and neighbours combed the district, shouting her name in a desperate bid to find the little girl.

Air raid shelters and farm buildings were scoured as the volunteers continued their hunt and hedgerows and fields were systematically searched as fears for Sheila's safety mounted.

Over the weekend, the County Police were joined by air raid wardens and Army cadets as their search was stepped up. The hunt went on throughout the weekend, unbroken.

After the Bolton Evening News carried reports of her disappearance, other readers came forward to claim they had seen a child on the cross bars of a bike being ridden by a man.

It was the same information that had been passed on from Sheila's seven-year-old friend.

But the areas and timings did not match up and the police were still desperate for more sightings.

Four days after she was last seen, the search for Sheila had been extended even further, with water supply tanks around the town being checked out.

Scouts had joined the police and civil defence workers, but still there was no clue to help solve the mystery.

On Tuesday August 23, 1944, the Chief Constable of Lancashire made an impassioned plea for help to trace her.

Townsfolk were also urged to check their back gardens and cyclists who may have given a child a ride on their cross bar were asked to come forward so they could be ruled out of the investigation.

A week had passed since her last sighting, when police dogs were called in to search Hulton Park, Chequerbent.

Police chiefs insisted that the search was routine and had not been arranged because of particular evidence.

Rumours were rife that Sheila had been found but police were quick to dispel them as particular attention was put on lodges, rivers and streams amid fears Sheila could have drowned, accidentally or otherwise.

By the end of August several cyclists, who had given rides to children on their bikes on the day of Sheila's disappearance had been ruled out of the inquiry after contacting police officers.

But one cyclist had still not been tracked down.

The man had been riding on Newbrook Road, Atherton, with a little girl on the cross bar who wore a green dress and had ribbons in her hair.

Witnesses claimed the child was aged five or six and the cyclist had headed off towards Leigh, riding past Atherton Parish Church.

But Sheila Fox, the pretty little girl, with ribbons in her hair, had simply disappeared.

Now, the mystery may be solved once and for all.

Sheila had been waved off by her mother that morning, smartly dressed in a pretty blue flowered frock, green coat, stockings and shoes.

She had been hard at her studies all day, stopping only to enjoy a school dinner before waiting for the home-time bell.

Now, it was Friday afternoon and that brought the prospect of two days playing out with her New Bury mates, two days of hide-and-seek and skipping.

The worries of the Second World War lay far from her mind as she chatted animatedly with her friends about what she planned to do on Saturday and Sunday.

In fact the child's optimistic mood was mirrored by the nation.

As Sheila planned her weekend fun and games, so the country's leaders were putting the preparations together for the final push that would win the Second World War.

That Friday, as Sheila headed home, American tanks were within 12 miles of Paris as General Eisenhower's troops forced their way through enemy fire.

It was August 18, 1944, and the Allies were close to victory.

But Sheila Fox would never celebrate the repatriation of France and demise of the German forces.

And she would never taste the jelly and sandwiches served at street parties around the town, as residents later celebrated the end of the war.

At some point as she made her way home to her family's house on Macdonald Avenue, New Bury, Sheila Fox disappeared, never to be seen again.

Within hours of reports that she was missing an exhaustive search of the Farnworth area began.

Young playmates of Sheila told how they had seen their friend riding on the crossbar of a mystery man's bicycle.

Another school friend said she had seen Sheila walking with a man. Her young pal even asked Sheila where she was going.

The six-year-old girl is said to have replied: "I am going with this man."

Whoever Sheila was with and wherever she planned to go one thing is certain -- by teatime she had not returned home and her parents were becoming increasingly concerned.

That night police and neighbours combed the district, shouting her name in a desperate bid to find the little girl.

Air raid shelters and farm buildings were scoured as the volunteers continued their hunt and hedgerows and fields were systematically searched as fears for Sheila's safety mounted. Over the weekend, the County Police were joined by air raid wardens and Army cadets as their search was stepped up. The hunt went on throughout the weekend, unbroken.

After the Bolton Evening News carried reports of her disappearance, other readers came forward to claim they had seen a child on the cross bars of a bike being ridden by a man.

It was the same information that had been passed on from Sheila's seven-year-old friend.

But the areas and timings did not match up and the police were still desperate for more sightings.

Four days after she was last seen, the search for Sheila had been extended even further, with water supply tanks around the town being checked out.

Scouts had joined the police and civil defence workers, but still there was no clue to help solve the mystery.

On Tuesday August 23, 1944, the Chief Constable of Lancashire made an impassioned plea for help to trace her.

Townsfolk were also urged to check their back gardens and cyclists who may have given a child a ride on their cross bar were asked to come forward so they could be ruled out of the investigation.

A week had passed since her last sighting, when police dogs were called in to search Hulton Park, Chequerbent.

Police chiefs insisted that the search was routine and had not been arranged because of particular evidence.

Rumours were rife that Sheila had been found but police were quick to dispel them as particular attention was put on lodges, rivers and streams amid fears Sheila could have drowned, accidentally or otherwise.

By the end of August several cyclists, who had given rides to children on their bikes on the day of Sheila's disappearance had been ruled out of the inquiry after contacting police officers.

But one cyclist had still not been tracked down.

The man had been riding on Newbrook Road, Atherton, with a little girl on the cross bar who wore a green dress and had ribbons in her hair.

Witnesses claimed the child was aged five or six and the cyclist had headed off towards Leigh, riding past Atherton Parish Church.

But Sheila Fox, the pretty little girl, with ribbons in her hair, had simply disappeared.

Now, the mystery may be solved once and for all.