The World War One History of the 9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment
This web site recounts the history of the 9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment Territorial Force during and leading up to World War 1 with a special focus on 1908 through to the end of the Gallipoli Campaign.
This is their story, pieced together from official records, personal diaries, newspaper articles, men’s letters, and many other sources.
The 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, Territorial Force was an infantry battalion of the Manchester Regiment based in Ashton under Lyne.
Shortly after the outbreak of war the 9th Manchesters, as part of the East Lancs Division, mobilised and deployed to Egypt to protect the Suez Canal, to train and to acclimate to North African temperatures.
On May 9th, 1915 they landed at Sedd-el-Bahr under heavy fire at Gallipoli. They remained in Gallipoli for almost 8 months, leaving on December 29, 1915.
In January 1916 the 1/9th Manchesters deployed to Egypt and spent the year there reconstituting their ranks with fresh recruits from England while guarding the Suez Canal from Turkish attack.
In March 1917 they deployed to France where they remained for the duration of the war.
A number of personal letters and diaries have been transcribed and made available here. Some are from the Imperial War Museum and one was kindly provided by relatives of the author.
They include letters and diaries of men who served with the 9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment in Egypt and Gallipoli.
A number of biographies of the Officers and men of the battalion who played a notable part in the narrative of the 9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, are available on this website.
They include every officer that served with the 9th Manchesters in Gallipoli, all of the 9th Manchesters that won the Distinguished Conduct Medal in Gallipoli, and more.