On the 4th March, 1917 the 9th Battalion embarked on HMT Arcadian bound for France. They disembarked at Marseilles on 11th March and moved by train to Pont Remy, arriving there on the 14th March. From Pont Remy the 42nd Division was moved to an area ten miles east of Amiens, there the 9th Battalion was issued with rifles and steel helmets. They began training on the tactics of trench warfare, trench digging, route marches were also order of the day.
1/9th Manchesters France March 1917
On the 21st March, 1917 Private ARNOLD PEARSON (351087 formerly 2787) was killed in action. He is commemorated at Pozieres Memorial.
April 1917:
The Battalion moved to Haquaix on 18th April, and on the evening of 22nd April they took over a section of the front line and support line at Epehy; the first time they had been in the front lines since Gallipoli.
1/9th Manchesters France April 1917
April Casualties:
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Died
Cause
Pte.
351494
WILLIAM
NALLY
24-Apr
KIA
Pte.
351324
JOHN
W
JEVONS
25-Apr
KIA
Pte.
351625
HARRY
LORD
25-Apr
KIA
Pte.
352320
SAMUEL
LORD
25-Apr
KIA
Pte.
350582
HENRY
McCLUSKEY
29-Apr
KIA
Pte.
350809
JAMES
McDONALD
29-Apr
KIA
Pte.
351976
ROBERT
CAMPBELL
29-Apr
KIA
May 1917:
The Battalion moved to billets in Marquaix; the same ones they had occupied earlier in April. They moved into the front line on May 5th. On the evening of May 6th, 2/Lt Cooke was mortally wounded. The Battalion went into reserve on the evening of May 9th, moving to Templeux Quarry, and returning to the line again on May 13th. They were relieved on May 17th and marched to billets at Villers Faucon.
On May 19th they moved to Bertincourt, via Equancourt, and went into billets. They moved into the reserve line at Havrincourt Wood on May 21st and spent their time digging and consolidating trenches. Two days after 2/Lt. Cooke died of wounds on May 24th, Pte. Harry Holden was awarded the Military Medal, most likely for carrying him back to safety.
On the evening of May 29, 1917 a patrol composed of Lt. Phillip Sydney Marsden and 3 privates was fired on by the enemy. Lt. Marsden and one of the men were hit, both in the abdomen. The two remaining privates carried back the two wounded men 300 yards under fire and then obtained a stretcher and some assistance. Lt. Marsden died an hour after he was brought in and the private some hours later.
1/9th Manchesters France May 1917
May Casualties:
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Died
Cause
Pte.
350681
JEREMY
BARKER
6-May
KIA
Sgt.
351175
THOMAS
H
LEE
6-May
DoW
Pte.
350431
WILLIAM
HANDLEY
7-May
KIA
Pte.
350627
STANLEY
PEARSON
7-May
KIA
Pte.
350840
HERBERT
CHRISTIAN
7-May
KIA
L/Cpl.
351697
STANLEY
GREEN
7-May
KIA
Pte.
352014
JAMES
HOWARD
7-May
KIA
Pte.
352409
THOMAS
HARRISON
7-May
KIA
Pte.
350297
JOSEPH
GEE
8-May
DoW
Pte.
352432
FREDERICK
CLARKSON
8-May
KIA
Pte.
351648
FRANK
SHEPHERD
9-May
KIA
Pte.
352238
EDWARD
SKIRVIN
9-May
DoW
Pte.
351774
THOMAS
NORMAN
10-May
DoW
Pte.
351372
ROBERT
FOSTER
14-May
DoW
Pte.
350379
ROBERT
AL
THOMAS
15-May
KIA
Pte.
350298
HERBERT
POTTER
29-May
KIA
Pte.
350454
TOM
FIELDING
30-May
DoW
Lt.
CHARLES
E
COOKE
24-May
DoW
Lt.
PHILLIP
S
MARSDEN
30-May
KiA
June 1917:
The Battalion was in the line at Havrincourt Wood at the start of the month being relieved on June 5th and moving to Ruyaulcourt. They moved back into the line at Havrincourt Wood from June 12-16, moving to Ytres when relieved. They spent time training at Ytres before returning to the reserve line at Havrincourt Wood on June 21st.
The Battalion remained in the line for the remainder of the month and whilst there all companies were engaged in the digging of firing and communication trenches at night under cover of darkness.
1/9th Manchesters France June 1917
June Casualties:
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Died
Cause
L/Cpl.
350567
THOMAS
ASHCROFT
3-Jun
KIA
Cpl.
350351
JOSEPH
WILDE
3-Jun
KIA
Pte.
352196
WILLIAM
RAWSON
20-Jun
KIA
Cpl.
350520
ARTHUR
SPURRETT
26-Jun
KIA
Pte.
351936
ARTHUR
HAGGER
30-Jun
KIA
July 1917:
The Battalion went into a reserve area on 9th July, undertaking various training exercises and rest.
July Casualties:
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Died
Cause
Cpl.
350512
RAYMOND
GIBSON
3-Jul
KIA
Pte.
351171
ELLIS
BOWKER
3-Jul
KIA
Pte.
351716
TOM
MOSS
3-Jul
DoW
Pte.
352313
STANLEY
BUCKLEY
3-Jul
KIA
Pte.
375895
BERTRAM
ATKIN
4-Jul
KIA
Pte.
400212
JOHN
MURPHY
23-Jul
DoW
Pte.
400602
JOHN
H
MARSH
23-Jul
KIA
Pte.
400720
ALFRED
A
OVERTON
23-Jul
DoW
2/Lt.
BERTIE
FREEDMAN
3-Jul
DoW
August 1917:
On the 22nd August they were entrained, bound for Ypres, and suffered only one death, Private JOSEPH REYNER (350880) who died of wounds on August 30, 1917 and is buried at Ruyaulcourt Military Cemetery.
September 1917:
In September the 42nd Division took over a sector almost a mile in width, enduring appalling conditions due to bad weather and constant heavy enemy shellfire.
September Casualties:
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Died
Cause
Pte.
351748
CYRIL
J
WELFORD
1-Sep
KIA
Pte.
352074
WILLIAM
BRADBURY
1-Sep
KIA
Pte.
352672
HARRY
LUNN
2-Sep
KIA
Pte.
350646
GEORGE
ROBSON
3-Sep
KIA
Pte.
352013
MICHAEL
ROGAN
5-Sep
KIA
Pte.
376856
JOSEPH
E
SELLERS
6-Sep
KIA
Pte.
51426
WILLIAM
SINCLAIR
11-Sep
KIA
Pte.
34276
SETH
WALLEY
12-Sep
KIA
Pte.
352239
HERBERT
WOOD
12-Sep
KIA
Pte.
351685
JOSEPH
LINDLEY
13-Sep
KIA
Pte.
350290
THOMAS
GASKELL
14-Sep
KIA
Pte.
35481
JAMES
W
SMITH
14-Sep
KIA
Pte.
51422
GEORGE
BELL
14-Sep
KIA
Pte.
350993
STANLEY
STRUTT
14-Sep
KIA
Cpl.
350522
WILLIAM
SMITH
15-Sep
KIA
Pte.
376681
FRANK
DYSON
16-Sep
DoW
C.S.M
350051
WILLIAM
BIRCHALL
25-Sep
DoW
The 9th battalion left the front line at the end of September and took over the coastal defence at the Nieuport front, under constant shellfire and aerial attack. In December the battalion went into the line near Bethune with the 10th battalion.
During this period the following casualties were recorded:
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Died
Cause
Pte.
50293
SIDNEY
WATSON
24-Oct
KIA
Pte.
351696
JOHN
H
MOORES
24-Oct
KIA
Pte.
351732
WILLIAM
BOURNE
24-Oct
KIA
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Died
Cause
Pte.
351273
WILLIAM
LEECH
3-Nov
KIA
Pte.
351909
THOMAS
BLAZE
3-Nov
KIA
Pte.
351224
ELLIS
HIBBERT
6-Nov
DoW
Pte.
350869
WALTER
LEECH
8-Nov
DoW
Pte.
350538
THOMAS
BUTLER
12-Dec
KIA
1918
The battalion moved to Gorre on the 24th January where trench warfare continued with raids from both sides. In a raid on the 11th February, 1918 the battalion went over the top in a successful action in the sector opposite Festubert, with artillery stopping any German escape or reinforcements.
On the 15th March the battalion was withdrawn to the Busnes/Burbure/Fouquieres area. The army was going through a dramatic reconstruction at this time with brigades being reduced from 4 to 3 battalions. Some 260 officers and men of the 9th joined with the 2/9th while 210 others joined the 1/5th and the 1/6th. Other men were used to supply drafts to under strength battalions, like the 1st Notts & Derby Regiment.
Those left in the battalion remained as a training cadre. In August 1918 they absorbed the 13th Manchesters and were later reconstituted as the 9th battalion. They ended the war in Soire le Chateau near Avesnes.
Note: Much of the original text for 1918 was taken from the www.themanchesters.org and is their copyright.
Commanding Officers
A list of the Battalion’s Commanding Officers in World War One can be found here.
The 9th Battalion left Mudros in early January and landed at Alexandria on January 17, 1916. They were taken by train from Alexandria to Cairo and from Cairo Station to Mena Camp by tram. Mena Camp was situated about 10 miles West of the centre of Cairo just on the outskirts of the city and took its name from Mena House, an old hotel located near the Giza pyramids.
Mena House Hotel, Giza
A week later they moved to Tel-el-Kebir which is located about 68 miles north-north-east of Cairo and 25 miles West of Ismailia.
Tel el Kebir
Shortly after, they moved to El Shallufa on the Suez Canal, making camp on the East of the canal.
Cantilever bridge at Shallufa
On February 10th they moved again to El Kabrit, about 20 miles north of Suez where they remained for some time.
Kabrit South Pilot Station
Map: Battalion Locations January to June 1916
January – June was spent rebuilding the Division by the addition of new recruits from England and soldiers rejoining from hospital to replace those lost in Gallipoli and the longest serving Territorials whose time had expired. The battalion was engaged in improving the canal fortifications needed to protect the Southern route across the Sinai from raiding parties (since no large army could cross quickly without first building rail and water supplies).
There were 3 routes across the Sinai; the Northern Route which covered El Arish to B’ir Qatia to El Qantara (known as Kantara to the Allies); the Central Route (which followed the Ismailia to Maghara Road), and the Southern Route. Militarily, each route had a base of operations which were El Qantara, El Ferdan and Shallufa respectively. Since the central and southern routes were impassible to a large force without first building supply lines these two routes were defended by the Allies from small raiding parties through a three tier defence of an outpost approximately 7 miles out from the canal, with a second outpost 3 1/2 miles out and a bridgehead at the canal itself. Much effort was spent consolidating these outposts and linking them together via signals and other communications.
Beginning in January 1916, a new railway was constructed, by the British and Egyptian allied ‘Egyptian Expeditionary Force’ (EEF), from El Qantara to Romani, and was planned to continue eastward through the Sinai to El Arish and Rafa on the border with the Ottoman Empire. A water pipeline and telegraph line were simultaneously constructed along the same route by the Royal Engineers.
April (Suez):
In April the Battalion moved south to Suez and began to engage in divisional training and route marches. On April 26th the Battalion suffered 2 fatalities and several wounded during a training exercise when a bomb exploded accidentally. And the next day a man was accidentally killed when he was shot as another man cleaned his weapon which accidentally discharged.
June (Abū al ‘Urūq):
By the end of June, 17 Officers and around 500 Other Ranks had joined (or rejoined) the Battalion. The Battalion was then effectively back to full strength.
Moving a Water-Tank at El Ferdan
In late June the Division moved to El Ferdan, and then to Abū al ‘Urūq, to assist with the fortifications of the central route since they were now fully recovered and acclimated to the harsh desert conditions and summer heat. Fortification work and training continued throughout July until the 23rd.
July (El Qantara):
In July, intelligence reports indicated a large Turkish force, led by German Officers, was making its way Westwards from El Arish along the Northern Route. 8th Corp, to which the 42nd Division belonged, was transformed into a Mobile Column and sent to meet this force which was moving towards the Suez Canal.
Aerial View of Kantara
On July 25th, the Battalion marched overnight from Abū al ‘Urūq to El Ferdan, so that they could cross the canal, and then the following night made their way to El Qantara (and on to Hill 40), via Al Ballāḩ. Soldiers considered not fit enough for the upcoming difficult desert marches were left at El Qantara. At this point the Battalion was re-equipped to operate as a Mobile Column.
Map: Battalion Locations July 1916 to March 1917
August (Pelusium):
On Aug 4th the Battalion marched to Gilban, which was a station on the newly constructed railway along the Northern Route.
Wrecked Mk IV British tank at Gilban Station
The rest of the Division entrained to Hill 70 from where the 127th Bde marched across the desert to support the Anzacs at the Battle of Romani. The 126th Bde moved to Pelusium by train on August 8th where they were held in Corps reserve.
Railway Station at Pelusium
The Battalion remained at Pelusium for the rest of August engaged in outpost duty, training and route marching.
September (Oghratina):
After the allied victory at Romani, defence turned into offence and the railway and water pipes were slowly extended eastwards. The 42nd Division was pushed out ahead to protect the new construction from raiders who were mainly Bedouin tribesmen allied with the Turks.
Supply Depot near Oghratina
The Battalion marched to Romani on Sept 9th and then on to Er Rabah the following day and Oghratina, which was considered to be the outpost line, on the 11th. On Sept 21st they moved into reserve at Hod en Negiliat, (a “hod” is a plantation of date palms).
Camel train carrying supplies at Negiliat
The Battalion went back into the line at Oghratina on October 2nd and remained there until October 24th during which time they were engaged in training and route marches once again.
October & November (Bîr el-‛Abd):
In October the railway reached Bîr el-‛Abd (30 miles East of Romani) and the Battalion marched there from Oghratina on October 25th. In November it reached Bîr Salmâna and Abu Tilûl before arriving at Al Mazār.
Al Mazār
The Battalion marched to Kilo 60 (Bîr Salmâna) on November 9th and then on to Kilo 100 (Abu Tilûl) the following day. Two weeks later, the Battalion marched to Al Mazār on November 24th. Here the Battalion spent 3 days being disinfected using a mobile system sent out by rail especially for the troops who had been living under canvas since arriving in Egypt.
December (Al Mazār):
In December an offensive was launched against the Turks at El Arish but by the time the Corps was ready to engage, the Turks had fled. The Battalion marched to Kilo 128 on December 20th in preparation, but were ordered to return to Al Mazār the following day.
1917 (Moascar):
The 42nd Division marched into El Arish in mid January 1917 and spent two weeks there by the sea.
Wadi El Arish
But at the end of January they were ordered back to the Suez Canal in preparation for their imminent deployment to France. The Division arrived at El Qantara by train in early February and then marched to camp at Moascar. They left Moascar for Alexandria by train on March 1st to sail for France on March 4th.
Casualties:
Throughout their time in Egypt, during 1916 and 1917, there was little danger from hostile forces, their main threat being sickness and disease brought on by unsanitary conditions and the harsh summer climate of the Sinai desert.
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
When
How
Pte.
2088
WILLIAM
H
COOKE1
19-Jan
Died
Pte.
1744
ANTHONY
SHERIDAN
25-Feb
Sickness
Pte.
3260
JAMES
W
MANSFIELD1
7-Apr
Sickness
Pte.
2327
THOMAS
SMITH
26-Apr
Bomb
Pte.
3244
ERNEST
CHADDERTON
26-Apr
Bomb
Pte.
3483
JOHN
HEGGINBOTTOM
27-Apr
Shot
Pte.
3029
TOM
A
CARR
2-May
Died
Pte.
2341
PERCY
NICHOLSON
13-May
Died
Pte.
3987
HARRY
H
KERRICK
28-Oct
Sickness
Note 1: These men died and were buried in the UK (St. Paul’s Church Stalybridge and Dukinfield Cemetery respectively) and so it is highly unlikely that they served in Egypt in 1916.
On March 4, 1917, the same day that the Battalion embarked for France, the final Egyptian casualty, Private JAMES KERR (1984), died of pneumonia in Hospital in Ismailia. He was buried at the Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery.
Honors:
During 1916 several Officers and men were officially recognized for their long exemplary service and for individual acts of bravery in Gallipoli as prior recommendations worked their way through the honours process.
On January 28, 1916 the following men of the 1/9th Manchester Regiment were mentioned in despatches for their part in the Battle of Krithia Vineyard.
Second Lieutenant (temporary Captain) O. J. Sutton
Lieutenant W. T. Forshaw, V.C.
Second Lieutenant C. E. Cooke.
No. 180 Sergeant S. Bayley.
No. 2103 Corporal T. Pickford.
No. 2148 Lance-Corporal S. Pearson.
No. 1294 Private F. Chevalier.
No. 1160 Drummer H. Broadhurst.
In February, information was received that Capt. O. J. SUTTON and 2/Lieut. E. COOKE had each been awarded the Military Cross, and L/Cpl. PEARSON and Cpl. PICKFORD the D.C.M.
In August the Battalion received orders which in part contained the following entries:
Qtr. Mr. & Hon Major CONNERY – awarded Military Cross
No 1792 L/Cpl. DAVIES A. – awarded D.C.M.
No 1623 Sgt. GREENHALGH J. – awarded D.C.M.
No 1083 Pte. LITTLEFORD S. – awarded D.C.M.
1792 L/Cpl. A. DAVIES, DCM For conspicuous gallantry when covering a retirement under a very heavy fire at a few yards range. [Gazetted June 21, 1916 for the actions of December 19, 1915]
1623 Sgt. JAMES GREENHALGH, DCM For conspicuous gallantry when covering a retirement under a very heavy fire at a few yards range. [Gazetted June 21, 1916 for the actions of December 19, 1915]
1083 Pte. SAMUEL LITTLEFORD, DCM For conspicuous gallantry in flinging a lighted bomb over the parapet, and thus probably saving many casualties. He was himself wounded in the arm by the explosion. [Gazetted June 21, 1916]
Desert Glossary:
Sabkha: A salt flat with a thin crust and very muddy underneath.
Hod: A planting of palm trees, a palm grove.
B’ir: A well from which water can be pumped to the surface.
Kathīb: A large sand dune or other elevation less than 300m.
Between 1906 and 1912 a series of sweeping changes were made to the British Army and named after the then Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. These “Haldane Reforms” were the first major reforms since the “Childers Reforms” of the early 1880s and were aimed to rectify shortcomings uncovered during the Second Boer War.
Along with changes to the Regular Army, the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 completely restructured the reserve forces to ensure a properly trained set of units and recruits to supplement the Regular Forces in times of war and to provide a more efficient force for home defence. The act called for the old Volunteer Force and Yeomanry to be reorganized into a new Territorial Force, administered by County Territorial Associations, and the old Militia was formed into the Special Reserve. The result was that the Territorial Force was established on April 1, 1908 and the men who joined agreed to be liable for service with the regular forces in wartime but the Act stipulated that ‘they could go abroad if they wish’.
Additionally, to help provide a ready supply of militarily trained potential officers, the Haldane Reforms also established an Officer Training Corps, (OTC), in public schools and Universities. Many of the men commissioned into the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment immediately after the outbreak of war came directly from, or had previously belonged to, an OTC.
In Ashton, the 9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, Territorial Force was duly formed on April 1st 1908 and the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment (VBMR) was dissolved. At that time, the “establishment”, (the official, authorized strength and structure of a military unit), of the battalion was set at 29 Officers and 980 men, as were the other 11 battalions of the East Lancashire Division. At the Annual Prize Giving Dinner for the 3rd VBMR on January 28, 1908 the commanding officer Lt.-Col. Charles Richard Wainright stated that the battalion then consisted of 927 men earning them a full capitation grant of £2,156. Indicative of the dissatisfaction that many of the ‘Old Volunteers’ felt with the new rules and requirements of the Territorial Force, by August 31, 1908 the battalion’s numbers had shrunk to just 25 Officers and 458 men.
Nevertheless, each of the NCOs and men of the old Volunteer Battalion were given the opportunity to re-engage with the new Territorial Force on April 1, 1908 and this process continued over the following weeks. New Territorial Force service numbers were assigned starting at ‘1’ and increasing sequentially based upon the date and the order in which their attestation paperwork was processed rather than by prior tenure in the Volunteers.
Thus, Cpl. Thomas Valentine who joined the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment on April 15, 1898 but did not re-engage with the Territorial Force until April 23, 1908, (22 days after the first group of men), was assigned a Territorial Force service number of 243. Whereas Sgt. Arthur Bashforth, who joined the Volunteers on March 20, 1903, (5 years after Valentine), was given a lower Territorial Force service number of 58 because he was part of the first batch of men who re-engaged with the Territorial Force on April 1, 1908.
The London Gazette belatedly announced in November 1908 that:
“Officers from the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, The Manchester Regiment, are appointed to the battalion with rank and precedence as in the Volunteer Force. Dated 1st April, 1908.”
Territorial Pre-War Training Camps
One of the requirements of service was to attend annual training camps and the following were those attended by the 9th Manchesters:
From
To
Camp Location
07-Jun-08
14-Jun-08
Ramsey (Isle of Man)
25-May-09
13-Jun-09
Salisbury Plain
14-May-10
28-May-10
Salisbury Plain
20-Aug-11
03-Sep-11
Dolphinholme, Lancs
28-Jul-12
11-Aug-12
East Marton, Yorks
10-Aug-13
24-Aug-13
Aldershot
The annual training camp for 1914 was scheduled to start on August 9, 1914 at Caernarfon, for two weeks but for obvious reasons was cancelled.
In July 1913, Major D. H. Wade was appointed Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, vice Lt.-Col. Charles Richard Wainright.
Pre-War Recruiting
The following table shows the “establishment” of each of the units of the East Lancashire Division and the actual numbers of men in each unit during the successful recruiting drive of January 1 to March 31, 1914.
Unit
Estab
1-Jan
1-Feb
14-Feb
31-Mar
DLOY
438
450
460
464
470
1st EL Bde RFA
595
536
535
565
593
2nd EL Bde RFA
596
589
583
638
620
3rd EL Bde RFA
595
513
540
578
611
EL Divisional RE
485
426
491
491
512
5th Batt. LF
974
761
796
900
986
6th Batt. LF
979
859
846
890
902
7th Batt. LF
977
710
802
849
889
8th Batt. LF
975
619
751
811
873
4th Batt. ELR
976
559
571
670
690
5th Batt. ELR
976
562
587
607
716
9th Batt. MR
977
579
601
804
870
10th Batt. MR
976
728
806
878
889
5th Batt. MR
980
735
771
771
795
6th Batt. MR
987
852
934
934
987
7th Batt. MR
987
899
1057
1,084
1,046
8th Batt. MR
982
692
758
819
908
EL T & S Column
488
445
459
469
473
RAMC
1,004
951
967
964
996
Totals
16,008
12,465
13,315
14,186
14,826
It was further noted that the 9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment had 11 men due for discharge prior to that year’s Annual Camp and that on aggregate the East Lancashire Division expected only 50% of those men discharged for time served to re-enlist.
ENGLAND 1914
On July 1, 1914 the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, Territorial Force (Ashton Territorials), found themselves still substantially below their minimum required strength of 28 Officers and 977 men having a nominal roll of only 26 Officers and 888 men, despite a recent surge of over 150 new recruits from a very successful recruiting drive at Ashton Town Hall on the evening of February 14.
When War was declared on Tuesday August 4, 1914, another wave of recruits queued up outside the Armoury on Old Street to enlist in the battalion and by Friday evening at least 94 men had joined who were later to serve overseas; almost half with prior military service and with an average age of 25 years, substantially older and more experienced than most of those who had joined in February. Around a dozen more similarly aged and experienced recruits joined during the following week.
On the 10th August, 1914 Lord Kitchener announced that the Territorial Force could now volunteer to serve overseas. The news arrived at the battalion the following morning, via telegram, and it was explained to the men that although it could mean active service, it was more likely to be garrison duty in Malta, Gibraltar or Egypt to relieve the regular Army troops currently stationed there. The men went on a short route march and after they returned the names of volunteers were taken. It was reported that 858 men indicated their willingness to serve overseas. The following day a message was received from Brigadier-General Prendergast, the commanding officer of the East Lancashire Infantry Brigade:
My Dear Colonel Wade,
I must address you a line to send you my sincere congratulations on the splendid and patriotic response the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment has given to W.O. call for volunteers by units. I am much gratified by the results, as I feel now I shall have my brigade intact with me wherever we may have to go.
Very truly,
G. PRENDERGAST, Col.
On Saturday August 15, 1914 the complete list of officers and men of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment was published in the local papers of the Reporter newspaper group and is provided here. The list names around 1,000 men from Ashton, Bardsley, Limehurst, Waterloo, Hooley Hill, Smallshaw, Woodhouses, Littlemoss, Taunton, Hurst, Hurst Brook, Guide Bridge and Park Bridge along with men from the nearby towns of Dukinfield, Hyde, Stalybridge, Denton, Audenshaw, Openshaw, Droylsden, Gorton, Newton Heath, and Clayton.
Ordinance Survey Map of Ashton and District from the 1890s
At this point, the battalion being fully up to strength, recruiting into the battalion was halted.
On Thursday August 20th, the 9th Manchesters marched into Chesham Fold Camp, Bury (a tented camp at Chesham Fold Farm). Bury was the divisional headquarters of the East Lancashire Infantry Brigade, which included, the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, the 4th East Lancashires, (from Blackburn, Darwen and Clitheroe), the 5th East Lancashires, (from Burnley, Accrington, Haslingden, Baccup, Padiham and Ramsbottom), and the 10th Manchesters (from Oldham), three sections Signal Company, Headquarters Company of Engineers, Lancashire Brigade Company A.S.C., Transport and Supply, and the 2nd Field Ambulance. The battalion was housed in around 100 European pattern tents pitched on the long slope of a hillock overlooking Bury.
Signallers (Attached)
The nominal roll of the battalion published in the Reporter newspapers indicated that 18 men of the No. 3 Section, East Lancashire Divisional Signal Company were attached to the Battalion for pay, rations, and discipline. These men, having arrived at Chesham Fold Camp two days earlier, now joined the battalion.
RAMC (Attached)
The nominal roll of the battalion published in the Reporter newspapers also indicated that 5 men of the Royal Army Medical Corps, Territorial Force from the 1/2nd East Lancs Field Ambulance were attached to the battalion for war service. Amongst many other routine medical and sanitary duties, their role in combat would be to man the Regimental Aid Post when the battalion was in the trenches.
Almost a week later, on Wednesday August 26th, the day after Lord Kitchener’s first address to the House of Lords as secretary of state for war, Brigadier-General Prendergast addressed the men. According to the Ashton Reporter, he asked the battalion to volunteer as a whole for any service they were asked to do not simply the garrison duty he had stated two weeks earlier. He promised them their own officers and companies and asked them “to loyally represent their dearly loved company and patriotic town of Ashton in this cruel but necessary war.”
Lt.-Col. D. H. Wade also addressed the men and exhorted them to “Be British!“. The men were then asked to show their willingness to volunteer for overseas service “anywhere” and around 70% of them showed their assent by sloping arms.
Three days later, with rumours of their imminent departure overseas becoming more concrete, a sense of urgency and reality set in. Lt.-Col. Wade again addressed the men and this time asked them in earnest, “Were they British enough” to volunteer for overseas service? The men debated amongst themselves and in the end 25 officers and 834 men gave their names. Orders were received to separate the “overseas” men from the “home service” men and a small camp of ten or eleven European pattern tents was setup a little removed from the rest of the battalion. By the evening of Monday August 31st around 25 home service men had changed their minds and re-joined the rest of the battalion.
At this point, the battalion was around 120 men and seven officers short of their full establishment.
Even though almost all the officers had volunteered, Major Edward Garside, the battalion’s second in command, at 55 evidently had failed the medical and so was not permitted to serve overseas. Additionally, Lieutenants Douglas Buchanan Stephenson and Alfred George Birchenall had not been able to join the battalion at Bury due to illness. And at camp, Captain Ralph Lees became quite ill and had to return to Ashton for an operation. Finally, Lt. George Makin, in charge of the battalion’s signallers, was also unable to serve overseas. Consequently, the following Second Lieutenants were quickly added to the battalion’s strength on September 2nd: William Hampson Lillie, Oliver Jepson Sutton, Hugh George Shatwell, John Mayall Wade (the CO’s son), Charles Earsham Cooke and Albert Edward “Ned” Stringer. Also, John Broadbent*, recently retired from the battalion, was in the process of rejoining which he officially did on September 5th. With the battalion now up to its full officer strength, Second Lieutenants Philip Sydney Marsden and Harold Edward Butterworth were added as supernumeraries.
*JOHN BROADBENT was commissioned in 1895, served in the Boer War, and reached the rank of Major before resigning his commission with the 9th Manchesters in 1912. He rejoined in 1914 at the outbreak of war, losing his rank and seniority and leaving behind a pregnant wife. He was 42 years old when he landed in Gallipoli.
To rectify the 120-man shortfall, on Tuesday September 1st the battalion sent word to Ashton that an additional 120 recruits were needed and Lt.-Col. D. H. Wade travelled from Bury to ensure they were quickly added. In the event, 125 men were recruited for the battalion in just 2 hours; 40 traveling to Bury with Lt.-Col Wade the following day and the remainder joining them on Friday. With recruiting done and departure overseas imminent, Capt. R. B. Nowell, who had been in command of the Depot at Ashton, along with QMS Thomas Burgess and the handful of others assisting them in the recruiting work joined the battalion at Bury on Saturday Sept 5th. The 120 new recruits had been required to sign their overseas paperwork (Army Form E.624) when they attested and in Bury the rest of the battalion started to sign theirs too.
A telegram, dated Saturday September 5, was received by the East Lancs Divisional Commander from Lord Kitchener:
“Inform the Division from me that I hope that they will push on hard with their training in Egypt, as, before they are ready, there will be plenty of troops from India to garrison Egypt, and I hope they will be one of the first of the Territorial Forces to join our Army on the Continent. All will depend on their fitness for service against the enemy in the Field. – Kitchener.”
In a final two-day push, back in Ashton on Monday September 7th Lt. A.G. Birchenall and Sergeant Thomas Lord resurrected the paused recruiting effort and attested another 20 men who immediately left Ashton to join the battalion in Bury. After they arrived, seven men from the 5th East Lancs Regiment, (from Burnley), were transferred to the ranks of the 9th Manchesters at Chesham Fold and without the proper coordination with the recruiting effort in Ashton, duplicate service numbers were allocated causing much confusion 110 years later. Nevertheless, with the last-minute additions to the ranks completed, and after weeks of rumours and false starts, the battalion entrained for Southampton, bound for Egypt, on the evening of Wednesday September 9th. The following day they boarded HMS Aragon, leaving at midnight bound for Egypt.
Boy Soldiers of the Battalion
At least 28 members of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment who left for Egypt were, (or would have been), under the age of 17 when they landed in Gallipoli on May 9, 1915 and incredibly three of them were just 14 years old when they landed in Egypt on September 27, 1914. A detailed review of these boy soldiers can be found here.
Back in Ashton
Shortly after the 9th Manchesters left for Egypt a 2nd line battalion was formed in Ashton to receive recruits who would be trained in the UK before providing reinforcements for the overseas men. This new battalion was designated the 2/9th Manchesters and the overseas men became the 1/9th Manchesters.
Egypt 1914
The 1/9th Manchesters arrived at Alexandria on the 25th September but, due to the scale and complexity of disembarking an entire Division, did not land until September 27th. Once disembarked they were transported to the Citadel and Kasr-el-Nil barracks, Cairo. The day before they arrived at the port of Alexandria they suffered their first casualty when 18 years old Private 1705 John Bridge died of pneumonia and was buried at sea, (commemorated at the Chatby Memorial, Alexandria).
Back home in Ashton, recruiting continued at a healthy rate with more than 475 new recruits volunteering in October and November alone. These men were recruited into the newly formed 2nd line battalion, the 2/9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, whos purpose was to supply men to the 1/9th once they entered combat.
The Black Sea Raid
On October 29, 1914 two recently purchased ships of the Ottoman Empire’s navy, which were still crewed by German sailors and commanded by their German admiral, carried out the Black Sea Raid, a surprise attack against Russian ports. Russia replied by declaring war on November 1, 1914.
As a consequence, on November 1st martial law was declared throughout Egypt and Sudan. Egypt, which had been nominally part of the Ottoman Empire but under de facto British control since 1882, became a British protectorate, marking the end of the Khedivate and the establishment of the Sultanate of Egypt. On November 5th Britain and France declared war on Turkey.
Later that month the Battalion’s second death occurred when 15 year old Private 1845 Frederick Finucane died of dysentery on the 27th and was buried at the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery.
On December 14, 1914 the Battalion left Kasr-el-Nil for Abbassia main barracks.
On the 20th December the Khedive was deposed and Prince Hussein Kamel became the new Sultan of Egypt. British Troops stationed in and around Cairo lined the streets as an honour guard and a show of strength to the local populace. The contingent from the 9th Battalion taking charge of a section of Soliman Pasha Street, close to the Kasr-el-Nil barracks.
For months the Division had undergone strenuous training and by the end of 1914 the men were drilled, acclimated and thoroughly fit.
EGYPT 1915
From the beginning of 1915 the training became even more intense with long marches in the desert, in full marching order. And as part of their duties, from time to time, the East Lancs Divisional troops found themselves guarding the Suez Canal.
On January 30, 1915 the battalion moved from Abbassia and deployed to tents at Heliopolis in preparation for possible deployment to the Suez Canal.
In the early hours of February 3, 1915 12,000 Turks & Germans attacked the Canal defences South of Ismailia between Serapeum and Toussoum. They were repulsed and 1,600 prisoners taken by the Indians, Anzacs and East Lancs Division but the 1/9th were not directly involved in the hostilities. A contemporary newspaper report is provided here.
Ferry Landing at Ismailia. [Source: Australian War Memorial]
Sadly, in February and March the Battalion lost two of its senior Officers. Major WILLIAM HENRY ARCHBUTT suffered a heart attack on February 8, 1915 and Surgeon-Major ALBERT HILTON, the Battalion’s Medical Officer (M.O.), died of disease on March 4, 1915 while the 9th Battalion were under canvas at Heliopolis. Both are buried at the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery. Major Hilton was temporarily replaced as the battalion’s M.O. by Major Thomas Frankish, RAMC.
On Palm Sunday, 28th March 1915, General Sir Ian Hamilton, (the newly appointed commander of the Allied Mediterranean Expeditionary Force), reviewed the Division in Cairo. Verbal orders were received for the 9th Battalion (as part of the East Lancashire Division) to prepare to move to the Dardenelles at short notice.
According to the 126th Brigade War Diary, the 1/9th arrived, by train, at Kantarra from Cairo with 32 Officers and 912 men on April 16, 1915. They spent the rest of the month defending the Suez Canal from Turkish attack.
On the 2nd May, 1915 the 9th Battalion received their firm orders to leave for Gallipoli and were concentrated at Port Said by the evening of the 4th. On 5th May, the men of 9th Battalion (and 1/2 of the 10th Battalion) embarked on the HMT AUSONIA. The transport section which included horses, mules, one cart and two machine-gun carriages, along with the recently promoted Major RICHARD BOTTOMLEY NOWELL, Lt. JOHN BROADBENT and 26 other ranks of the 1/9th embarked on HMT COMMODORE.
Approximately two dozen men were discharged from service, (primarily due to sickness rendering them not physically fit enough to serve in combat), during the 3 months leading up to the battalion’s embarkation for Gallipoli.
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Discharged
Pte
2136
JAMES
DOOLEY
15-Mar-15
Pte
2213
ABRAHAM
J
HADGETT
15-Mar-15
Pte
2214
CHARLES
PARKER
15-Mar-15
Pte
2194
HARRY
SPEAKMAN
15-Mar-15
Pte
1699
ROBERT
THORNTON
15-Mar-15
Pte
1526
FREDERICK
WALLWORK
15-Mar-15
Pte
1349
ROBERT
BELL
23-Apr-15
Pte
2185
THOMAS
BOWDEN
23-Apr-15
Pte
1362
THOMAS
SMITH
23-Apr-15
Pte
2164
JAMES
ASHTON
03-May-15
Pte
2082
JOHN
A
BLACK
03-May-15
Pte
2157
SYDNEY
BURTON
03-May-15
Pte
1577
WILLIAM
CONSTANTINE
03-May-15
Pte
471
WILLIAM
FOGG
03-May-15
Pte
2023
WILLIAM
HUNTER
03-May-15
Cpl
2163
JOHN
IRVING
03-May-15
Pte
2017
ROBERT
KING
03-May-15
Pte
1912
JOHN
P
MILLWOOD
03-May-15
Pte
1707
HARRY
OLDFIELD
03-May-15
Pte
2114
BENJAMIN
RENSHAW
03-May-15
Pte
2144
LAWRENCE
SCHOFIELD
03-May-15
Pte
2233
WILLIAM
WHEATLEY
03-May-15
Pte
2215
WILLIAM
WHITTLE
03-May-15
Cpl
1992
JOSEPH
WILSHAW
03-May-15
And at least three more men were discharged after returning home from Egypt in the following months without ever serving in Gallipoli.
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
Discharged
Pte
2188
WILLIAM
G
COLLIER
31-May-15
Col. Sgt
160
THOMAS
BURGESS
11-Jun-15
Pte
1932
JAMES
WATERS
28-Jun-15
Additionally, a member of the pre-war permanent staff of the Battalion, 2673 Col. Sgt. James Holt, returned from Egypt in March and did not land in Gallipoli. It is very likely that upon Col. Sgt. Holt’s departure, Sgt. John Alexander Christie, of the 5th East Lancashire Regiment, became permanently attached to the 9th Manchesters.
Note: First-hand, contemporaneous accounts of the battalion’s time in Egypt in late 1914 and early 1915 have been transcribed and are available here, here and here.
GALLIPOLI 1915
On the 9th May the 9th Battalion landed under heavy fire at Sedd-el-Bahr, (V Beach), and moved quickly from the beach into bivouac (the Commodore with the Transport section and Brigade HQ arriving on the 10th).
Context from Despatches:
The following short section seeks to put the landing of the 1/9th Manchesters into context from the selected despatches of Sir IAN HAMILTON, General, Commanding Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.
At the close of the ten days and ten nights described in my first despatch our troops had forced their way forward for some 5,000 yards from the landing places at the point of the peninsula. Opposite them lay the Turks, who since their last repulse had fallen back about half a mile upon previously prepared redoubts and entrenchments. Both sides had drawn heavily upon their stock of energy and munitions, but it seemed clear that whichever could first summon up spirit to make another push must secure at least several hundreds of yards of the debatable ground between the two fronts. And several hundred yards, whatever it might mean to the enemy, was a matter of life or death to a force crowded together under gun fire on so narrow a tongue of land.
The net result of the three days’ fighting had been a gain of 600 yards on the right of the British line and 400 yards on the left and centre. The French had captured all the ground in front of the Farm Zjimmerman, as well as a redoubt, for the possession of which there had been obstinate fighting during the whole of the past three days.
From nightfall till dawn on the 9th-10th efforts were made everywhere to push us back. A specially heavy attack was made upon the French.
On the 11th May, the first time for eighteen days and nights, it was found possible to withdraw the 29th Division from the actual firing line and to replace it by the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade and by the East Lancs Division, which had completed its disembarkation two days previously.
The Nominal Roll of men of the 1/9th Manchesters landing on that day included at least the following 908 men listed below.
Rank
No.
Forename
Middle
Surname
Col Sgt
5
GEORGE
BOOCOCK
Pte
11
JOHN
FOSTER
Pte
16
JAMES
RYDER
Sgt
22
WALTER
HAWKINS
Pte
23
TOM
LEE
Sgt
27
JAMES
NOLAN
Pte
29
ALBERT
HAGUE
Sgt
31
THOMAS
LOMAS
Sgt
41
JAMES
STOPFORD
Pte
48
WILLIAM
LITTLEFORD
Sgt
54
ARTHUR
BERESFORD
Sgt
58
ARTHUR
BASHFORTH
Sgt
64
ALFRED
SMITH
Sgt
65
JOSEPH
FERNS
Sgt
76
JAMES
LAWTON
Sgt
83
THOMAS
MCDERMOTT
Sgt
104
HARRY
INGHAM
Col Sgt
108
ROBERT
JACKSON
Pte
109
SAMUEL
CHARLES
WHITTON
L/Cpl
113
FRANK
SHAW
Cpl
121
JOHN
WILLIAM
TASKER
Sgt
128
THOMAS
LANGAN
Sgt
136
HENRY
HARRISON
CQMS
154
GEORGE
NEWTON
Cpl
156
JAMES
TOWNSEND
Sgt
164
ALFRED
SCOTT
Cpl
174
JOHN
HENRY
SHAWCROSS
Sgt
176
HENRY (HARRY)
COOPER
Pte
177
JOE
BRIDGE
Pte
179
RICHARD
COOPER
Cpl
180
SAMUEL
BAYLEY
Sgt
220
ALBERT
EDWARD
FLETCHER
Pte
226
ALFRED
ASHWORTH
Sgt
236
GEORGE
TURNER
CSM
237
HENRY
STRINGER
Pte
242
LEONARD
BROOKE
Cpl
243
THOMAS
VALENTINE
Col Sgt
257
JOHN
WILLIAMSON
CSM
266
ALBERT
GREEN
Pte
270
RICHARD
HANDLEY
Pte
282
GEORGE
SHAW
Pte
283
TIMOTHY
McDERMOTT
Sgt
287
CHARLES
SPENCER
Pte
288
JOHN
PHILLIPS
Sgt
313
GEORGE
GRAYSON
MELLOR
Pte
317
JOSEPH
ROTHWELL
Pte
326
JAMES
WILLIAM
HARLOW
Col Sgt
339
MATHEW
JAMES
BUCKLEY
Sgt
341
JOHN
WILLIAM
LEE
CSM
344
JOSEPH
CHADDERTON
Pte
379
THOMAS
GHENTY
Sgt
400
JAMES
CHAPMAN
Dmr
419
FREDERICK
ORAM
WYATT
Sgt
427
THOMPSON
TYM
Sgt
445
JOHN
ALBERT
SIMCOX
Pte
447
ERNEST
EYRES
Pte
459
ARTHUR
ROYLE
Pte
463
HENRY
RICHARDSON
Sgt
469
HARRY
ILLINGWORTH
Pte
487
JOSEPH
TURNER
Pte
489
JAMES
EASTHAM
L/Cpl
508
HARRY
GIBSON
Pte
512
JOHN
MORGAN
Pte
515
WILLIAM
VICKERS
Pte
517
FRANK
CAWLEY
Sgt
526
THOMAS
MOSS
Pte
528
HARRY
HAUGHTON
CQMS
540
WILLIAM
BIRCHALL
Pte
548
SAMUEL
POWERS
Dmr
551
HAROLD
ARNOLD
CRITCHLEY
Pte
555
WILLIAM
BARKER
Pte
580
WALTER
WILD
Pte
596
HARRY
WHITEHEAD
Pte
621
FRANK
GOODE
Sgt
643
SQUIRE
ELLOR
Pte
660
THOMAS
ALDRIDGE
Sgt
680
THOMAS
HARGREAVES
Cpl
714
REGINALD
WARNER
Sgt
719
JOHN
MUTCH
Cpl
724
JOSEPH
EDWARD
APPLEBY
Cpl
728
ARTHUR
GREEN
Cpl
736
JAMES
WHITTLE
Pte
745
ARNOLD
BOOTH
Dmr
759
SAMUEL
SCHOLES
Pte
768
JAMES
BENYON
Pte
781
HARRY
TAYLOR
Pte
782
HARRY
EDWARDS
Pte
787
GEORGE
WILLIAM
STRINGER
Sgt
806
CORNELIUS
FINCH
Pte
822
THOMAS
DAVIES
Pte
839
WILLIAM
HERBERT
PASCOE
Pte
849
HERBERT
NADIN
Pte
885
FRANK
GODDARD
Cpl
921
HARRY
BOLTER
Pte
930
ERNEST
BRADBURY
Pte
932
WILLIE
HORTON
HAMER
Pte
956
HAROLD
PYE
Sgt
969
HARRY
GRANTHAM
Pte
972
SAMUEL
TAYLOR
Pte
973
HARRY
SMITH
Pte
998
HARRY
HOLDEN
L/Cpl
1000
JAMES
EARNSHAW
Pte
1004
ALBERT
CUNDAY
Sgt
1010
SIDNEY
WOOD
Pte
1019
SAMUEL
ATHERTON
Pte
1028
FRED
HODGIN
Pte
1042
HARRY
HOLLAND
Pte
1044
THOMAS
GORMAN
Pte
1057
JAMES
WILLIE
STOPFORD
Pte
1066
TOM
GARLICK
Pte
1068
PETER
NOLAN
Pte
1070
CHARLES
SMITH
Pte
1071
JAMES
FRANCIS
BARLOW
Pte
1081
CLAUDE
DAVIES
Pte
1083
SAMUEL
LITTLEFORD
Pte
1112
WILLIAM
EMMANUEL
HAWLEY
Pte
1118
DOUGLAS
GERALD
HORNBY
Cpl
1119
PERCY
BORSEY
Cpl
1120
THOMAS
FORREST
Pte
1121
JOHN
JOSEPH
KENNEY
Pte
1123
WIL
MARSH
Sgt
1125
NOEL
DUNCAN
BRAITHWAITE
Sgt
1126
JOSEPH
COX
HARROP
Pte
1127
HARRY
TAYLOR
Sgt
1128
HARRY
EARLE
Cpl
1129
BENJAMIN
NEWTON
Pte
1130
RUPERT
PILLING
Pte
1132
HARRY
GORDON
CARPENTER
Pte
1133
ALBERT
MULLEN
Pte
1134
FRANK
ERNEST
ORTON
Pte
1137
TOM
SMITH
Pte
1139
HARRY
PARTRIDGE
Pte
1140
ARTHUR
PRITCHARD
Pte
1141
JAMES
SMITH
Pte
1142
DAVID
SMITH
Pte
1146
JOHN
WILLIAM
JAKEMAN
Pte
1147
JAMES
RATCLIFFE
Pte
1148
JOHN
MUTTER
L/Cpl.
1150
FRED
ARMITAGE
Pte
1152
JOHN
GEORGE
BLANDFORD
Pte
1153
JOHN
PEAKE
Dmr
1154
HAROLD
COOKE
Pte
1155
WILLIAM
BURKE
Pte
1156
FRANK
BARKER
Pte
1157
WILLIAM
HENRY
ILLINGWORTH
Pte
1158
JOHN
RILEY
Pte
1159
WILLIAM
WATSON
Drm
1160
HAROLD
BROADHURST
Pte
1164
FRANK
DYSON
Drm
1165
EDWARD
BERRY
Pte
1167
WILLIAM
OGDEN
Pte
1169
HERBERT
HOPKINS
Pte
1170
ROBERT
KERSHAW
ILLINGWORTH
Sgt
1171
GEORGE
EYRE
Pte
1175
ALBERT
CLEMENT
CLAYTON
Pte
1178
MATTHEW
REDFERN
Pte
1179
SAMUEL
EDWARD
BONSALL
Cpl
1180
ARTHUR
BRITTON
Pte
1182
JAMES
HOPWOOD
Pte
1184
ALBERT
BROADHURST
Pte
1187
WILLIAM
KINDER
Cpl
1188
WILLIAM
HENRY
MARTIN
Pte
1189
HAROLD
NEWTON
Pte
1190
JOSEPH
HARRISON
ROWBOTTOM
Pte
1192
HARRY
TRUNKFIELD
Pte
1193
JOSEPH
BATTY
Cpl
1194
WILLIAM
CHORLTON
Pte
1195
THOMAS
DORAN
L/Cpl
1197
JOHN
LOWNDS
Cpl
1199
THOMAS
RADCLIFFE
Pte
1200
WILLIAM
TAYLOR
Pte
1201
JAMES
WILLIAMS
Cpl
1202
ROBERT
GRIMSHAW
Pte
1203
JOHN
CUMMINS
Cpl
1205
SAMUEL
EYRE
Pte
1209
LEONARD
WHITEHEAD
Pte
1210
JOHN
ARTHUR
CRANE
Pte
1211
BEN
CUTHBERT
Pte
1212
THOMAS
HOLDEN
Pte
1215
JOSEPH
WILDE
Pte
1216
JOSEPH
CARUS
L/Cpl
1217
HAROLD
COOKE
Pte
1218
JAMES
HOLLINGWORTH
Pte
1220
FRANK
MADELEY
Pte
1221
THOMAS
PORTER
Pte
1222
JOHN
ROURKE
Pte
1224
WILLIAM
TEMPEST
Pte
1225
JOSEPH
HAROLD ARMSTRONG
WHITTAKER
Pte
1226
TOM
GODDARD
WOOD
Pte
1230
WILLIAM
EDISON
LOFT
Dmr
1234
JAMES
BRADLEY
Pte
1235
SAMUEL
INGHAM
Pte
1236
BENSON
BARRETT
Pte
1239
HAROLD
BULLOCK
Pte
1240
GEORGE
MOSS
Pte
1243
ARNOLD
LEES
Sgt
1244
WALTER
STEUART
EATON
Pte
1246
JOHN
HAMPSON
Pte
1252
ERNEST
MITCHELL
SMITH
Pte
1253
JOHN
BENNETT
Pte
1255
JAMES
BURKE
Dmr
1257
TOM
JACKSON
Dmr
1258
ROBERT
LANDERS
Pte
1262
GEORGE
ALLOTT
Dmr
1263
ALBERT
MARLAND
Pte
1266
FREDERICK
WILLIAM
KERFOOT
Pte
1268
JESSE
EDWIN
CONNOLLY
Pte
1269
OLIVER
JONES
Pte
1270
JONATHAN
HAWKE
Sgt
1271
JAMES
TAYLOR
Pte
1273
JOSEPH
HAROLD
HIGGINBOTTOM
Pte
1274
JOHN
WILLIAM
DONNELLY
Pte
1276
GEORGE
MARLAND
Pte
1277
JOHN
CHARLES
TURNER
Pte
1278
ALBERT
EDWARD
SUMMERSGILL
Pte
1281
JOHN
TRAVIS
Pte
1283
SAMUEL
JEPSON
DONOGHUE
Pte
1284
WILLIAM
BLACKSHAW
Pte
1285
ALBERT
MacCORMACK
Pte
1286
WILLIAM
BENNISON
Pte
1287
WILLIAM
THORNTON
Pte
1288
CLARENCE
WILLIAM
PAUL
Pte
1289
GERALD
MASSEY
Pte
1290
JOHN
SMITH
Pte
1291
ROBERT
EDWARD
DALEY
Pte
1292
GEORGE
HALL
Pte
1293
THOMAS
BELL
Pte
1294
FRANK
CHEVALIER
Pte
1295
PERCY
BRADSHAW
Pte
1298
ENOCH
MARTYN
Pte
1300
JOHN
KINSELLA
Pte
1301
WILLIAM
POTTER
MURPHY
Pte
1302
HARRY
WOLSTENHOLME
Pte
1303
HARRY
ALLEN
Pte
1305
JAMES
WRIGHT
Cpl
1306
REUBEN
TYSON
Pte
1307
ROBERT
CONSTANTINE
Pte
1308
THOMAS
TAYLOR
Pte
1309
HERBERT
BROOKE
Sgt
1310
HERBERT
ALLEN
MORRIS
Pte
1311
WILLIAM
HULME
Pte
1313
JAMES
WILLIAM
RAMSDALE
Pte
1314
JOHN
WILLIAM
ANDREW
Pte
1316
WILLIAM
ADAMS
Pte
1317
JAMES
WILLIAM
STOCKTON
Pte
1322
JAMES
HALKYARD
Pte
1324
JAMES
SHAW
MILLAR
Pte
1325
JOSEPH
KENT
Sgt
1326
HAROLD
SHAW
Pte
1327
GEORGE
HENRY
BURGESS
Pte
1330
HARRY
POTTER
Pte
1331
WILLIAM
HIGGENBOTTOM
WOOD
Dmr
1332
WILLIAM
MALONEY
Pte
1334
CHARLES
LEE
Pte
1338
GEORGE
HENRY (HARRY)
STEWART
Pte
1339
JAMES
WILLIAM
DALEY
Pte
1340
THOMAS
ROLAND
BUTTERWORTH
Pte
1341
THOMAS
HENRY
TWEEDALE
Pte
1342
HERBERT
BRADBURY
Pte
1343
TOM
HALL
Pte
1345
ERIC
GOLIGHTLY
Pte
1346
FREDERICK
FLINDLE
Pte
1347
REGINALD
HUXLEY
POTTS
Drm
1348
WILLIAM
SHAW
Pte
1351
ROBERT
MELIA
Pte
1353
JOHN
WILLIAM
DODD
Pte
1354
WILLIAM
LLOYD
SHUTTLEWORTH
Pte
1357
WILLIAM
DALTON
Cpl
1358
GEORGE
JAMES
SILVESTER
Pte
1361
THOMAS
HAWKINS
L/Cpl
1364
FRANK
HOWARD
Pte
1365
HARRY
COOKE
Pte
1366
ALFRED
HODGSON
Pte
1367
FRANK
DITCHFIELD
RADCLIFFE
Pte
1368
WILLIE
GIBSON
Pte
1369
ALBERT
GIBSON
Pte
1371
ALBERT
EDWARD
NEALE
Pte
1373
NOEL
WILLIAMSON
STOCKDALE
Pte
1374
JOSEPH
DUTTON
Pte
1375
BEN
CUSICK
L/Cpl
1377
FRANK
OLDFIELD
Pte
1380
BERNARD
RAWLINGS
Pte
1381
ERNEST
LOWNDS
Pte
1382
SAM
ERNEST
ROBINSON
Pte
1383
CHARLES
IRVINE
RIMINGTON
Pte
1384
THOMAS
LEWIS
EVANS
Pte
1386
HERBERT
LAMB
Pte
1388
WILFRED
LOCKWOOD
Pte
1389
CHARLES
VERE
KINNA
Pte
1390
ALBERT
HAGUE
Pte
1391
GEORGE
GORDON
HAUGHTON
Pte
1393
PERCY
TILBURY
Pte
1394
BENJAMIN
COWLEY
Pte
1396
WILLIAM
HEBBLEWAITE
Pte
1397
JOHN
HANSON
Pte
1399
JAMES
ALBERT
EDWARDS
Pte
1400
WILLIAM
BROWN
HODGKISS
Pte
1401
EDWARD
HODGKISS
Pte
1402
CEPHAS
TURNER
Pte
1404
JAMES
DUNDAVAN
Pte
1405
JOHN
DALEY
Pte
1407
WALTER
LEIGH
Pte
1408
JOSEPH
CROPPER
Pte
1410
RICHARD
FLETCHER
Pte
1411
LEWIS
BEELEY
Pte
1413
THOMAS
PENNY
L/Cpl
1415
WILLIAM
MASON
Pte
1422
GEORGE
WILLIAM
MOORES
L/Cpl
1423
ALBERT
BURGESS
Pte
1424
HARRY
JONES
Cpl
1425
EDWARD
BROWN
Pte
1426
JOHN (JACK)
WALKER
Pte
1427
SAMUEL
KELLETT
Pte
1428
STANLEY
HAYDEN
STEPHENS
Pte
1429
ROBERT
HARTLEY
Pte
1430
JOHN
BRUCKSHAW
LEES
Pte
1434
PERCY
BAILEY
LEES
Dmr
1437
WILLIAM
REVELL
Pte
1438
TOM
RADCLIFFE
Pte
1439
TOM
HILL
Pte
1440
ROBERT
NICHOLS
Pte
1442
ALBERT
CROWTHER
Pte
1443
JAMES
MALLINSON
Pte
1445
ERNEST
CECIL
MATLEY
Pte
1446
RICHARD
MORTON
MAY
Pte
1448
JOHN
HALL
Pte
1450
GEORGE
SHAWCROSS
Cpl
1451
WILLIAM
ROWLAND
Pte
1453
LAWRENCE
KING
Pte
1455
SYDNEY
VICTOR
HILL
Pte
1457
JOHN
BRADY
Pte
1458
GEORGE
MOORES
Pte
1460
JOHN
ALBERT
DAWSON
Pte
1464
GEORGE
BROMLEY
Pte
1465
JAMES
THRIFT
PYE
Pte
1466
FRED
HANSON
Cpl
1468
ALFRED
ATHERTON
Pte
1470
THOMAS
HEWITT
Pte
1472
HARRY
ANDREW
Pte
1473
GEORGE
HENRY
LAMB
Pte
1475
WALTER
BENNETT
Pte
1476
GEORGE
EDWARD
HANSON
L/Cpl
1478
BENJAMIN
LOVE
Pte
1479
THOMAS
ROGERS
Cpl
1480
JAMES
HORSFIELD
Pte
1481
CLIFFORD
HOLDEN
Pte
1483
JAMES
PORTER
Cpl
1484
JOHN
WILLIAM
HUGHES
Cpl
1486
CHARLES
ERNEST
WOOD
Cpl
1487
ERNEST
RIMINGTON
Pte
1488
RICHARD
EDWIN
BURGESS
Pte
1490
BERT
ASHWORTH
Pte
1491
FRED
GENDERS
Pte
1493
FRANK
SHEPHERD
LEES
Sgt
1495
THOMAS
JAMES
KNIGHT
Pte
1496
JOHN
BULLOCK
Pte
1497
JAMES
WILLIAM
CHATBURN
Pte
1498
JOHN
WHARTON
Pte
1499
ALBERT
ASHTON
Pte
1500
HERBERT
MONKS
Pte
1501
GEORGE
MARKHAM
Pte
1503
RAYMOND
PLANT
Pte
1504
ALBERT
TOWNSEND
Pte
1506
WILLIAM
HEADDOCK
Pte
1509
RICHARD
ASPDEN
Pte
1511
ALFRED
VINCENT
CLEGG
Pte
1512
WILLIAM
ASPINALL
Pte
1513
ALBERT
BURKE
Pte
1514
HARRY
SYKES
Pte
1515
JAMES
WILLIAM
CHEETHAM
Pte
1516
ERNEST
BARLOW
Pte
1517
SAMUEL
HOOD
Sgt
1520
FRANK
MORTON
Pte
1521
JAMES
ATHERTON
Pte
1524
JOHN
WILLIAM
JENNEYS
Pte
1528
WILLIAM
DEAN
Pte
1529
GEOFFREY
CLEGG
Pte
1531
WALTER
MUTTER
Pte
1532
HERBERT
BERTENSHAW
Pte
1534
ALFRED
EDWIN
SNAPE
Pte
1535
JOHN
HENRY
CONNOLLY
Pte
1536
LEWIS
LONGSON
GRIMSHAW
Pte
1540
WALTER
BRYAN
Pte
1542
FRED
McDONNELL
Pte
1544
JOHN
BURGESS
Pte
1545
NORMAN
TAYLOR
Pte
1546
JOHN
FRANCIS
FINNIGAN
Pte
1549
JOHN
EDWARD
CUNNINGHAM
Sgt
1550
THOMAS
WINDED
Pte
1553
HAROLD
MORRIS
Pte
1554
HAROLD
SMITH
Pte
1555
GEORGE
ELLIS
Pte
1556
ERNEST
RICHARD
BELL
Pte
1557
ISAAC
WALKER
Pte
1558
LAWRENCE
FINNERAN
Pte
1559
ANDREW
WINTERBOTTOM
Pte
1560
WILLIAM
WOOD
Pte
1561
ROBERT
KENWORTHY
Pte
1562
JOHN
WALSHAW
BLAND
Pte
1566
GEORGE
BOSWELL
Pte
1567
ALBERT
IVELL
Pte
1568
ALBERT
VICTOR
GODDING
Pte
1569
JOHN
BATES
Pte
1570
WILLIAM
GENT
ANDREWS
Pte
1571
GEORGE
ALCOCK
Pte
1573
SAM
ENTWISTLE
Pte
1574
THOMAS
BOON
Pte
1575
WILLIAM
HENRY
VINEY
Pte
1576
WILLIAM
PETER
BRIERELY
Pte
1578
THOMAS
GASKELL
Pte
1579
JOHN (JACK)
WILLIAM
GASKELL
Pte
1580
NORMAN
HARGREAVES
Pte
1581
SAMUEL
BARBER
Pte
1583
NORMAN
LEIGH
Pte
1584
FRED
BRADLEY
Pte
1585
JOSEPH
GEE
Pte
1586
HERBERT
POTTER
Pte
1588
WILLIAM
SIDEBOTTOM
Pte
1591
EDWARD
LEES
Cpl
1592
EDWARD
ALLOTT
Pte
1593
ALBERT
EASTWOOD
Pte
1595
WILLIAM
RUSHWORTH
Pte
1596
JOHN
OAKDEN
Pte
1597
ERNEST
HAWKRIDGE
Cpl
1598
ARTHUR
ARTINGSTALL
Pte
1601
WALTER
CLEGG
Pte
1604
WILLIAM
HENRY
CORLETT
Pte
1605
STANLEY
CARTER
Pte
1606
WILLIAM
TOWNLEY
Pte
1607
ERIC
LISTER
Pte
1608
HARRY
WHITTAKER
Pte
1609
ROBERT
DANIEL
MacCORMACK
Pte
1612
GEORGE
LITCHFIELD
Pte
1613
EDWARD
JONES
Pte
1615
LEONARD
GILL
Pte
1616
WILLIAM
PRIESTNALL
Pte
1617
JOHN
TURNER
Pte
1618
CHARLES
LLEWELLYN
HIGGINS
Pte
1619
PERCY
SAMPSON
Pte
1621
JOHN
BRIDGE
Pte
1622
HARRY
JACKSON
Pte
1623
JAMES
GREENHALGH
Pte
1625
ARTHUR
BURN
Pte
1626
HENRY
BENT
Pte
1627
GEORGE
FRATER
Pte
1628
HAROLD
MOSS
Pte
1629
JOSEPH
WHIPP
Pte
1632
WILFRED
EDWARD
BARBER
Pte
1634
JAMES
EDWARD
HOKE
Drm
1635
WILLIAM
HENRY
TAYLOR
Pte
1637
HERBERT
FISH
Pte
1638
WILLIAM
HENRY
HAZELL
Pte
1639
JAMES
HENRY
DAWSON
Pte
1640
JAMES
GARRAGAN
Pte
1641
EDWARD
LEWIS
GREEN
Pte
1642
ENOCH
CHARLES
WARHURST
Pte
1643
SAMUEL
NEWTON
Pte
1644
ARTHUR
ADSHEAD
Pte
1645
TOM
LONGWORTH
Pte
1646
JOHN
MASON
Pte
1649
TIMOTHY
WIDDUP
Pte
1651
FRANK
NEWTON
Pte
1652
RICHARD
STOTT
Pte
1653
GEORGE
SAMUEL
ASHTON
Pte
1654
JOHN
HUGH
HAMER
Pte
1655
RICHARD
BOON
Pte
1656
EDWARD
HENNESSEY
Pte
1658
JONATHAN
TAYLOR
POTTER
Pte
1659
PERCY
WOODRUFF
Pte
1660
HAROLD
GARTSIDE
Pte
1662
HARRY
OWEN
Pte
1663
WILLIAM
ALLCOCK
Pte
1664
JOHN
EASTWOOD
Pte
1665
HARRY
BYROM
Pte
1667
JOHN
HILL
Pte
1668
JOSEPH
TAYLOR
Pte
1669
JOSEPH
WILDE
Pte
1670
JOSEPH
O’DONNELL
Pte
1671
ERIC
HYATT
Pte
1673
RONALD
MACIVOR
WATERS
Pte
1674
CHARLES
ARTHUR
MIDDLETON
Pte
1675
ALFRED
SUMNER
Pte
1676
TOM
LITTLEFORD
Pte
1677
RUPERT
RYLANCE
Pte
1678
ARTHUR
BUCKLEY
Pte
1679
GEORGE
LOWE
Pte
1681
HARRY
ROBINSON
Pte
1682
ERNEST
PEPPER
Pte
1683
FRANK
HADFIELD
Pte
1684
EDWIN
JONES
Pte
1685
ROBERT
FISH
Pte
1686
JOSEPH
LEES
Pte
1688
JAMES
WILLIAM
WILSHAW
Pte
1690
ANDREW
GEE
Pte
1691
GEORGE
NEWTON
Pte
1693
ALBERT
EDWARD
ORTON
Pte
1694
BEN
CUMMINGS
Pte
1695
ALFRED
SMITH
Pte
1696
JAMES
CROWTHER
Pte
1698
JAMES
BROUGH
Pte
1700
FREDERICK
GRAHAM
WORSLEY
Pte
1702
ARNOLD
MYERS
Pte
1703
THOMAS
GILBEY
Pte
1706
JAMES
ALFRED
HILL
Pte
1708
PERCY
POULSTON
Pte
1709
JAMES
TAYLOR
Pte
1710
EDWARD
BROWN
Pte
1711
SIDNEY
OGDEN
Pte
1712
THOMAS
McBRIDE
Pte
1713
WILLIAM
EDWARD
LOMAS
Pte
1715
WALTER
ROEBUCK
Pte
1716
WILFRED
BRIERLEY
Pte
1718
DAVID
THORPE
Pte
1720
JOE
TRUNKFIELD
Pte
1722
ALFRED
PHILLIPS
Pte
1725
WILFRED
PEACH
COLCLOUGH
Pte
1727
ROBERT
ALLEN LEWIS
THOMAS
Pte
1728
HARRY
HULME
Pte
1729
HARRY
SMITH
Pte
1730
THOMAS
HARROP
BYROM
Dmr
1731
JAMES
HENRY
ELLIOTT
Pte
1733
THOMAS
HUGHES
Cpl
1734
HERBERT
WILFRED
MATTHEWS
Pte
1735
WILLIAM
HENRY
BATKIN
Pte
1736
WILLIAM
HENRY
PRIDHAM
Pte
1737
THOMAS
RACKSTRAW
Pte
1740
JOSHUA
BENNETT
Pte
1741
ARTHUR
BANTON
Pte
1742
HARRY
SIDEBOTTOM
Pte
1744
ANTHONY
SHERIDAN
Pte
1745
WILLIAM
HENRY
HALL
Pte
1746
JOHN
CHAPMAN
Pte
1748
WILLIAM
HIGGINBOTTOM
Pte
1751
CHARLES
LEE
Pte
1753
JOSEPH
SWINTON
Cpl
1754
GEORGE
ALFRED
WALKER
Pte
1755
EDWARD
SPRAGG
Pte
1757
EDWARD
ASHWORTH
Pte
1758
PERCY
LAWRENCE
WATSON
Pte
1759
SAMUEL
HALKYARD
Pte
1760
JAMES
HENRY
COOPER
Pte
1767
WILLIAM
ROBERTSON
Pte
1768
MAURICE
BARKER
Pte
1769
HERBERT
BARRATT
Pte
1770
BENJAMIN
GLADSTONE
DRANSFIELD
Pte
1771
WILLIAM
WILSON
Pte
1772
CECIL
MURRAY
Cpl
1773
ALFRED
BINNS
Pte
1774
JOHN
JOSEPH
CARROLL
Pte
1775
WILLIAM
POSTLE
Pte
1776
THOMAS
FINNERTY
Pte
1778
CHARLES
GEORGE
GOODWIN
Pte
1782
ALFRED
WILDE
Pte
1785
ERNEST
WILLIAMSON
Pte
1786
JOHN
COFFEY
Pte
1787
FRED
JONES
Pte
1789
NORMAN
RICHARDSON
Pte
1790
GEORGE
HARRY
CLOUGH
L/Cpl
1792
ALBERT
DAVIES
Pte
1794
WILLIAM
WALTON
Pte
1796
RICHARD
VAREY
Pte
1799
HAROLD
ABBOTT
Pte
1800
WILLIAM
BOOTH
Pte
1801
WILLIAM
BARFIELD
Pte
1802
FRANCIS
TAYLOR
Pte
1803
JAMES
RYDER
Pte
1804
HARRY
MARSDEN
Pte
1807
HENRY
ELLIOTT
Sgt
1808
ERNEST
ALFRED DUDILL
SUTHERLAND
Pte
1809
ISAIAH
SMITH
Pte
1810
EDWARD
BORSEY
Pte
1811
HARRY
ANDREW
Pte
1812
FRANK
WARHURST
Pte
1816
ALEXANDER
McKENZIE
WHITTET
Pte
1817
JOHN
COFFEY
Pte
1818
JAMES
HENRY
CRUTCHLEY
Pte
1820
JOHN
PATRICK
TAGGART
Pte
1821
GEORGE
WILLIAM
HUDSON
Pte
1823
WALLACE
LILLEY
Pte
1825
HUGH
CAMPBELL
WHITE
Pte
1827
ADAM
PLENDERLEITH
Pte
1829
JOHN
WILLIAM
JUBB
Pte
1830
WILLIAM
MURPHY
Pte
1831
JAMES
SMITH
Pte
1832
JAMES
CASSIDY
Pte
1833
JOSEPH
HAGUE
Pte
1834
JOSEPH
ARMITAGE
Pte
1835
WILLIAM
HANDLEY
Pte
1836
JAMES
HAMPSON
Pte
1837
JOHN
ROBERT
NIELD
Pte
1840
EARL
WILKINSON
Pte
1841
EDWARD
JONES
Pte
1843
JOHN
LEWIS
Pte
1848
JOSEPH
ABBOTT
Pte
1850
WILLIAM
NUTTALL
Pte
1851
WILLIAM
MATHER
Pte
1852
ALBERT
WILKINSON
Pte
1853
HENRY
LEWIS
Pte
1854
CHRISTOPHER
MURRAY
Pte
1855
JOHN
EDWARD
SWAIN
Pte
1857
ROBERT
WALKER
Pte
1858
JOSEPH
WILFRED
BENNISON
Pte
1859
EDDY
HEINEMANN
Pte
1860
GEORGE
FREDERICK
CAIN
Pte
1862
FRANK
JACKSON
Pte
1863
WILLIAM
ADSHEAD
Pte
1864
WALTER
HODGKISS
Pte
1865
HARRY
GRAFTON
Pte
1866
JOSEPH
STARKEY
BELL
Pte
1867
JAMES
BELL
Pte
1868
SYDNEY
WILDE
Pte
1869
GEORGE
BARKER
Pte
1871
JOSEPH
RUSHTON
Pte
1872
HARRY
OGDEN
Pte
1873
THOMAS
CARTER
Pte
1874
JOHN
RICHARD
PURCER
Pte
1876
TOM
FIELDING
Pte
1878
SAMUEL
WILLIAM
MORLEY
Pte
1879
WILLIAM
HARROTT
Pte
1880
THOMAS
CRONIN
HARDY
Pte
1882
ALFRED
FINAN
Pte
1884
ALFRED
DIXON
Pte
1885
EMANUEL
KEMP
Pte
1886
ALBERT
BENDEL
Pte
1887
MARK
ROBINSON
Pte
1888
HARRY
JACKSON
Pte
1889
JAMES
WILLIAM
GARSIDE
Pte
1890
PERCY
HALL
Pte
1891
JOSEPH
JACKSON
Pte
1892
JAMES
MORRISON
Pte
1893
ARTHUR
RANSON
Pte
1894
JOSEPH
McDERMOTT
Pte
1895
GEORGE
WRIGHT
Pte
1896
THOMAS
HARDMAN
Pte
1897
EDWARD
JONES
Pte
1900
WILLIAM
CUSICK
Pte
1903
HAROLD
ELLIS
Pte
1904
JOSEPH
EDWARD
TAYLOR
Pte
1905
ERNEST
OATES
Pte
1906
THOMAS
ISAAC
EVANS
Pte
1907
JOHN
JAMES
DONALD
Pte
1909
WILLIAM
SIMPSON
HALL
Pte
1910
THOMAS
TAYLOR
Pte
1911
SAMUEL
OGDEN
Pte
1913
GEORGE
EWDARD
DRANSFIELD
Pte
1914
ARTHUR
OWEN
Pte
1915
GEORGE
MURPHY
Pte
1916
JOHN
SEDDON
Pte
1917
FRED
CHARLES BRADBURY
LEE
Cpl
1920
WILLIAM
MITCHESON
Pte
1921
JAMES
PLAYER
Pte
1922
EDWARD
KELLY
Pte
1923
HARRY
WHITTAKER
Pte
1924
FRED
CHAPMAN
Pte
1927
JOSEPH
SELLARS
Pte
1930
JAMES
HENRY
THWAITES
Pte
1931
DAVID
CLINTON
Pte
1933
ROBERT
GATER
Pte
1935
HARRY
BARRATT
Pte
1936
ARTHUR
SAMUEL
GROSVENOR
Pte
1937
THOMAS
JOHN
LUXON
Pte
1939
ALBERT
BROADBENT
Pte
1944
SAMUEL
NEWTON
Pte
1945
WILLIAM
FIELDER
Pte
1946
MOSES
“RALPH”
BIRCHENOUGH
Pte
1947
HAROLD
RHODES
Pte
1948
JOHN
JAMES
KELLY
Pte
1950
HERBERT
HAMPSON
Pte
1951
JOHN
TINDALL
Pte
1952
HAROLD
HARGREAVES
Pte
1954
JAMES
ALBERT
TRUEMAN
Pte
1957
JAMES
ROWBOTTOM
Pte
1958
JAMES
THOMAS
MOTTERSHEAD
Pte
1959
WILFRED
SCHOFIELD
Pte
1960
MICHAEL
JOSEPH
KEARNS
Pte
1961
RICHARD
LAPTHORNE
Pte
1962
ENOCH
GODFREY
CLAY
Cpl
1963
RAYMOND
GIBSON
Pte
1964
JOHN
(JACK)
DODD
Pte
1966
NORMAN
JACKSON
Pte
1968
ARNOLD
WILLERTON
Pte
1972
GEORGE
BARRATT
Pte
1973
JOSEPH
WRIGLEY
Pte
1974
JAMES
HENRY
THORPE
Pte
1975
THOMAS
ANDREW
HALL
Pte
1977
JAMES
McGRATH
Cpl
1978
ARTHUR
THURSTON
SPURRETT
Pte
1979
WILLIAM
EDWARD
COYNE
Pte
1980
WILLIAM
SMITH
Pte
1982
TOM
HALL
Pte
1983
GEORGE
CRIGHTON
Pte
1984
JAMES
EDWARD
KERR
Pte
1985
LEONARD
SMART
Pte
1988
RICHARD
MASSEY
Pte
1989
WILLIAM
ROBERTS
Pte
1990
ARNOLD
ASHLEY
Pte
1991
ARNOLD
RUSHFORTH
Pte
1993
FRED
ASPINALL
Pte
1994
JOHN
FLORANDINE
Pte
1996
WILLIAM
JONES
Pte
1997
JOSEPH
EDWIN
ANDREW
Pte
1998
SAMUEL
ARMITAGE
Pte
1999
ALBERT
SMITH
Pte
2000
ROBERT
PENNY
Pte
2003
FRANK
BALLARD
Pte
2004
THOMAS
HENRY
RAMSBOTTOM
Pte
2005
FRANCIS
McCLUSKY
Pte
2006
JAMES
GILBERT
CRAGG
Pte
2007
THOMAS
BUTLER
Pte
2009
FRANK
MYCOCK
Pte
2010
JOHN
GLADSTONE
TYSON
Pte
2011
JOSEPH
POLLARD
Pte
2012
JOHN
ROBERT
TETLOW
Pte
2013
ARTHUR
LILLEY
Pte
2014
HAROLD
VICKERS
Pte
2015
THOMAS
LEE
Pte
2016
JOSEPH
COOPER
Pte
2018
WILLIAM
WILLIAMS
Pte
2019
WILLIAM
GASKELL
Pte
2022
WILLIAM
DEAKIN
Pte
2026
WILLIAM
HENRY
HEELAM
Pte
2027
FREDERICK
GORMAN
Pte
2028
JOHN
POTTER
Pte
2029
JAMES
ROBERT
OGDEN
Pte
2030
WILLIAM
CHATTERTON
Pte
2031
JOHN
SCHOLES
Pte
2032
JOSEPH
SHAW
Pte
2033
HARRY
SAXON
Pte
2035
WILLIAM
HENRY
McDONALD
Pte
2036
ALBERT
COMMERFORD
Pte
2037
ALBERT
VICTOR
FORD
Pte
2038
JOB
LLOYD
Pte
2039
WILLIAM
OATES
Pte
2041
GEORGE
BIRCHALL
Pte
2042
HARRY
HESKETH
Pte
2043
JOHN
LONGSON
BROADBENT
Pte
2045
JAMES
WILLIAM
HURST
Pte
2048
WILLIAM
DONNELLY
Pte
2049
CHARLES
WILLIAM
GIBSON
Pte
2050
PETER
TAYLOR
Pte
2051
THOMAS
ASHCROFT
Pte
2052
JAMES
HILTON
DRAYCOTT
Pte
2054
WILLIAM
HENRY
CADMAN
Pte
2055
ROBERT
HALL
Dmr
2057
STEPHEN
WOOD
Pte
2058
WILLIAM
MOSS
Pte
2059
ANDREW
HOWARD
Pte
2060
THOMAS
KERSHAW
Pte
2061
HUGH
DAVENPORT
RYDING
Pte
2062
ERNEST
EDWARD
ALTHORPE
Pte
2063
THOMAS
WILLIAM PRESTON
PORTINGTON
Pte
2064
JOHN
HENRY
WOODCOCK
Pte
2065
EDWARD
ATHERTON
Pte
2066
JAMES
CROMPTON
Pte
2067
JOSEPH
CUNLIFFE
SWINDELLS
Pte
2068
ALBERT
WRIGLEY
Boy
2069
ALFRED
BOOCOCK
Boy
2070
JAMES
BOOCOCK
Cpl
2071
CHARLES
DEVINE
JOYCE
Pte
2072
HENRY
McCLUSKY
Pte
2073
EVERRETT
JONES
Pte
2074
JAMES
HALL
Pte
2075
HARRY
GIBSON
Pte
2077
JOHN
WILLIAM
EASTHAM
Pte
2078
FRED
WARD
Pte
2079
JOHN
VAUSE
Pte
2081
WALTER
BLAKE
Pte
2083
FRANK
SMITH
Pte
2084
MATHEW
SWAIN
Pte
2085
MATTHEW
BAILEY
Pte
2086
TIMOTHY
TIPTON
Pte
2087
WILLIAM
OLLERENSHAW
Pte
2088
WILLIAM
HENRY GILBERTSON
COOKE
Pte
2089
PERCY
STONES
Pte
2090
JAMES
HORROCKS
Pte
2091
HARRY
WATERHOUSE
Cpl
2092
JOHN
CUPPELLO
Pte
2093
EDMUND
WHITTAKER
Sgt
2094
GEORGE
ROEBUCK
Pte
2095
JOHN
JOSEPH
O’CONNOR
Pte
2096
JOHN
SLATER
Pte
2097
HAROLD
WALSH
Pte
2098
HARRY
SAMUEL
FARRER
Pte
2100
HAROLD
CLAYTON
Pte
2102
DAVID
KIRK
Pte
2103
THOMAS
PICKFORD
Pte
2104
SAMUEL
COX
Pte
2105
LAW
TAYLOR
GREGORY
Pte
2106
JAMES
FREDERICK
ROGERS
Pte
2107
ABEL
HUGHES
Pte
2108
CHARLES
WARBURTON
Cpl
2109
JAMES
JOYCE
Pte
2110
THOMAS
HENRY
BATES
Pte
2111
RALPH
THOMPSON
Pte
2112
FRANK
ALLONBY
Pte
2113
HARRY
HADFIELD
Pte
2115
ARTHUR
COLE
Sgt
2116
WILLIAM
HENRY
GARNER
L/Cpl
2117
TITUS
KNIGHT BROADLEY
CROPPER
Pte
2118
WILLIAM
ROWBOTTOM
SMITH
Pte
2119
HARRY
LILLEY
Pte
2120
ARTHUR
CECIL
HIRST
Cpl
2121
ROBERT
HANDLEY
Pte
2122
JAMES
WILLIAM
BRAY
Pte
2123
THOMAS
EDWARD
GARSIDE
Pte
2125
JOHN
HYSLOP
Pte
2126
JAMES
MARTIN
Cpl
2127
SIDNEY
GARSIDE
Pte
2128
FRED
KENWORTHY
Pte
2129
JOHN
HOWARTH
Pte
2130
REUBEN
HILL
Pte
2131
WILLIAM
MATHEWS
Pte
2132
JAMES
EDWARD
GREENWOOD
Pte
2133
JOSEPH
SMITH
Pte
2134
ROBERT
SENTHOUSE
Pte
2137
THOMAS
BAILEY
Pte
2138
JAMES
GARSIDE
BROADHURST
Pte
2139
GILBERT
HIGHAM
Pte
2140
JOHN
HENRY
JONES
Pte
2141
JOSEPH
RICHARD
BERTENSHAW
Pte
2142
JAMES
McDONALD
Pte
2143
HERBERT
ROBERTS
Pte
2145
THOMAS
LUMLEY
Cpl
2146
ALBERT
PLATT
Pte
2147
JOHN
HENRY
BRYAN
Pte
2148
STANLEY
PEARSON
Pte
2149
ELKANAH
HULLEY
Pte
2150
PERCY
HILTON
Pte
2151
WILLIAM
HENRY
FODEN
Pte
2152
RICHARD
LONGSDEN
Pte
2153
CHARLES
WILLIAM
BAGWELL
Pte
2154
ROBERT
CHEETHAM
Pte
2155
REUBEN
TURNER
Pte
2156
JAMES
WILLIAM
YOUNG
Pte
2158
PERCY
BERTENSHAW
Pte
2159
JOHN
WILLIE
GREAVES
Pte
2160
THOMAS
JACKSON
Pte
2161
JAMES
TRAVIS
Pte
2165
EDWARD
BARLOW
Pte
2166
THOMAS
FOSTER
Pte
2167
JOSEPH
ARTINGSTALL
Pte
2168
ALBERT
BARRATT
Pte
2169
JOHN
JACKSON
Pte
2170
GEORGE
NOONAN
Pte
2171
JOHN
JACKSON
Pte
2172
POLLARD
MITCHELL
Pte
2173
FRED
HAGUE
Pte
2174
HARRY
PRATT
Pte
2175
FRANK
LIONEL
FAVIER
Pte
2176
WILLIAM
RATCLIFFE
Pte
2177
JAMES
PATTERSON
BEVAN
Pte
2178
GEORGE
HENRY
ROBSON
Pte
2179
ERNEST
SPENCER
EVANS
Pte
2180
HAROLD
ELLOR
Pte
2182
GEORGE
HARRY
WALKER
Pte
2183
EPHRAIM
MARGRAVE
Pte
2186
PERCY
BORWICK
Pte
2187
WILLIAM
BELL
Pte
2189
FRANK
EMMERSON
Pte
2190
JOHN (JACK)
THOMPSON
Pte
2191
JOHN (JACK)
CUMMINGS
Pte
2192
JOHN (JACK)
JONES
Pte
2193
SYDNEY
STELFOX
Pte
2195
HARRY
KENYON
Pte
2197
SAMUEL
YARWOOD
Pte
2198
HENRY (HARRY)
OGDEN
Pte
2201
FRED
ARCHER
Pte
2202
JOHN (JACK)
HAGUE
Pte
2203
HUBERT
WILLIAM EDWARD
LEACH
Pte
2204
JAMES
McCARTHY
Pte
2205
CHARLES
TUCKER
WELLS
Pte
2206
JOHN
RICHARDSON
Pte
2207
BEN
THOMPSON
Pte
2208
GEORGE
ALMA
PRICE
Pte
2209
WILLIAM
BRITTON
Pte
2210
JOSEPH
HILTON
Pte
2211
FRANK
LOMAS
Pte
2212
WILLIAM
BLACKSHAW
Pte
2216
ABRAHAM
HARE
Pte
2217
HERBERT
HARRISON
Pte
2218
GEORGE
VAUSE
Pte
2219
FREDERICK
EDWARD
COLLINS
Cpl
2220
THOMAS
FOGERTY
Pte
2221
HARRY
FERNLEY
Pte
2222
WILLIAM
LORD
Pte
2224
WILLIAM
BROMLEY
Pte
2225
GILBERT
RATCLIFFE
Pte
2226
THOMAS
PATTISON
Pte
2227
THOMAS
ORMESHER
Pte
2228
HARRY
CLAYTON
Pte
2229
JOSEPH
FOSTER
Pte
2230
HENRY
CONSTANTINE
Pte
2231
WILLIAM
SHEEKEY
Pte
2232
GEORGE
JACOB
HOWELL
Pte
2234
JOHN
ANDERSON
Pte
2235
JAMES
McGUINNESS
Pte
2236
ALBERT
HESKETH
Pte
2237
JAMES
ALBERT
BOSTOCK
Pte
2238
JOHN
LOVE
Pte
2239
WALTER
REVELL
Cpl
2240
HIRST
CHADDERTON
Pte
2242
JOHN
WALSH
Pte
2243
HARRY
BAISTOW
Pte
2245
JOHN
McNAB
Pte
2246
ALBERT
WOODWARD
Pte
2248
HERBERT
WALTER
CLEGG
Pte
2249
WILLIAM
RABY
Amongst them were a number of “Old Volunteers” (men who had served with the Volunteer Force before April 1, 1908).
And the battalion’s Officers with the rank and seniority they held on landing, included:
2/Lt. J.M. Robson remained in Egypt commanding the base depot in Alexandria and did not land at Gallipoli until June 2, 1915.
Capt. F.W. Kershaw arrived with the Battalion at Gallipoli on May 9, 1915 but was immediately invalided to Malta due to sickness and did not rejoin them until June 20, 1915.
Major Thomas Frankish RAMC landed with the Battalion as their Medical Officer.
Capt. F. Hamer had been assigned for duty as Adjutant and Quartermaster of the Turkish Prisoners’ Camp at Mahdi, Egypt and it is not clear whether or not he remained there for a short period of time before joining the battalion in Gallipoli or whether he landed with them on May 9, 1914.
On May 11th, the East Lancs Division received orders to take over the front line. The 9th Battalion, as part of the 126th East Lancashire Brigade, were now in reserve positions behind the (127th) Manchester Brigade and the (125th) Lancashire Fusilier Brigade.
The 1/9th went into the line on May 21st and remained there until the 26th. At this time, the “line” was actually three lines; the firing line, the redoubt line and the support line each one further back from the Turkish trenches. Divisional orders for the 126th Brigade were to advance the line by digging new trenches under cover of darkness.
On May 23, Lt. Col. DOCTOR HERBERT WADE, commanding officer of the 1/9th, was shot by a sniper while stepping over some sleeping men. He was evacuated from the peninsula and did not return to the battalion until March 1916, when they were in Egypt. During his absence the 1/9th went through half-a-dozen temporary C.O.s. Major RICHARD BOTTOMLEY NOWELL temporarily assumed command on the 23rd. A list of all of the battalion’s COs throughout the war can be found here.
On the evening of May 23/24 the 1/5th East Lancs battalion on the right and the 1/9th Manchesters in the center both advanced 100 yards by digging a series of rifle pits but the 1/10th Manchesters on the left failed in their attempt. During the night’s digging 1358 L/Cpl. GEORGE JAMES SILVESTER saw that 1413 Pte. THOMAS PENNY had been wounded and brought him back to the trenches and then went back out and returned to digging even though he himself had been wounded. Pte. PENNY died of his wounds in hospital in Malta two weeks later.
The following day, on May 24, 2/Lt. FRED JONES was shot and killed and became the first of the 1/9th Battalion’s Officers to die in Gallipoli. He would not be the last. Also on that day, Lt. Col. ARTHUR FREDERICK EGERTON, DSO (9th Royal Scots) took over command of the Battalion.
The 1/10th Manchesters having failed to advance their line under cover of darkness were forced to try again during the day. The Divisional war diary reports that they were able to advance the firing line by 50 yards. The following day, on May 25, Lieut. ROBERT GARTSIDE WOOD brought back a wounded man of the 1/10th Manchesters but was seriously wounded in the leg. Evacuated by hospital ship to Malta, he declined to have his leg amputated en-route, and surgeons managed to save it after two operations. Lieut. WOOD was awarded the Military Cross in November 1915 for his actions that day.
On May 25th, the designation of the Division was changed and as the 42nd East Lancashire Division it took precedence in numerical order over the other Territorial Divisions since it had been the first to deploy overseas.
Meanwhile, on May 24, Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Gould Hunter-Weston was promoted to acting Lieutenant-General and placed in command of VIII Corps (29th Division, the Royal Naval Division, 42nd Division and the 49th Indian Infantry Brigade). On May 27 he issued orders to immediately and simultaneously advance the front line trenches across the whole of the British and French fronts to within assault distance (200 yards) of the Turkish trenches. This they mostly accomplished over the following days.
May Fatalities:
Rank
No.
Forename
MI
Surname
When
How
Pte.
1178
MATTHEW
REDFERN
23-May
DoW
Pte.
1524
JOHN
W
JENNEYS
23-May
DoW
Pte.
1809
ISAIAH
SMITH
28-May
DoW
Pte.
1690
ANDREW
GEE
30-May
KIA
Pte.
2175
FRANK
L
FAVIER
31-May
KIA
2/Lt.
FRED
JONES
24-May
KIA
Note: The primary difference between Killed in Action (KIA) and Died of Wounds (DoW) is that men designated as Died of Wounds were deaths recorded in the medical evacuation chain rather than on the battlefield. Also note that some of the men listed as Killed in Action were actually Missing in Action and their bodies were never recovered or otherwise identified.
May Casualties:
Note: The list of Casualties provided here (and in the tables below for each month) is the list of men appearing in the Times of London daily casualty lists published throughout the following month. Anecdotal evidence from local newspaper reports indicate that many more men were wounded but they are not listed here.
Rank
No.
Forename
Middle
Surname
Pte.
555
WILLIAM
BARKER
Pte.
1837
JOHN
ROBERT
NIELD
Pte.
781
HARRY
TAYLOR
Pte.
1727
ROBERT
ALLEN LEWIS
THOMAS
May Honors:
1358 L/Cpl. GEORGE JAMES SILVESTER, DCM For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Although wounded on 20th May 1915, he continued to perform his duties, and showed the highest courage on 25th May in aiding the wounded under fire. [Gazetted Sept 15, 1915]
Additionally, 1904 Pte. J. E. TAYLOR, 1155 Pte. W. BURKE and Lt. R. G. WOOD were all recommended for gallantry for their actions on May 25th. Pte. Burke carrying Lt. RG Wood from the trench to the Field Ambulance and Pte. Taylor rescuing another man while under fire. All three men were subsequently mentioned in despatches, as reported in the London Gazette of November 5, 1915.
Field General Courts Martial:
32 enlisted men of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment were court martialed in Gallipoli, the first two of which were held on May 21, 1915. The range of offences was quite broad resulting in punishments ranging from the loss of one day’s pay to death. A full account of these cases is provided here.
Contradicting the implication that this group of men were somehow of low moral fiber it’s important to note that at least two of them were underage and four of them were subsequently decorated for bravery in the field. And nobody from the battalion was charged with cowardice or desertion.
June Operations:
Now that the 8th Army Corps front line had been painstakingly moved closer to the Turkish front lines, orders were issued to attack them on June 4th, the attack to be preceded by heavy artillery fire. This action was to become known as the Third Battle of Krithia. This action and the subsequent operations in June resulted in the deaths of at least 110 Officers and men of the Battalion.
Context from Despatches:
This brings the narrative up to the day of the general attack upon the enemy’s front line of trenches which ran from the west of the Kereves Dere in a northerly direction to the sea. Taking our line of battle from right to left the troops were deployed in the following order: -The Corps Expeditionnaire, the Royal Naval Division, the 42nd (East Lancs) Division and the 29th Division. The length of the front, so far as the British troops were concerned, was rather over 4,000 yards, and the total infantry available amounted to 24,000 men.
On the stroke of noon the artillery increased their range and along the whole line the infantry fixed bayonets and advanced. The assault was immediately successful.
The attack, timed for 3 p.m., was twice postponed at the request of General Gouraud, who finally reported that he would be unable to advance again that day with any prospect of success. By 6.30 p.m., therefore, the 42nd Division had to be extricated with loss from the second line Turkish trenches, and had to content themselves with consolidating on the first line which they had captured within five minutes of commencing the attack.
Although we had been forced to abandon so much of the ground gained in the first rush, the net result of the day’s operations was considerable- namely, an advance of 200 to 400 yards along the whole of our centre, a front of nearly 3 miles.
The Manchester Brigade of the 42nd Division advanced magnificently. In five minutes the first line of Turkish trenches were captured, and by 12.30 p.m. the Brigade had carried with a rush the line forming their second objective, having made an advance of 600 yards in all. The working parties got to work without incident, and the position here could not possibly have been better.
By 1.30 p.m. the whole of the captured trenches in this section had been lost again, and the Brigade was back in its original position, the ”Collingwood” Battalion, which had gone forward in support, having been practically destroyed. The question was now whether this rolling up of the newly captured line from the right would continue until the whole of our gains were wiped out. It looked very like it, for now the enfilade fire of the Turks began to fall upon the Manchester Brigade of the 42nd Division, which was firmly consolidating the furthest distant line of trenches it had so brilliantly won. After 1.30 p.m. it became increasingly difficult for this gallant Brigade to hold its ground. Heavy casualties occurred; the Brigadier and many other officers were wounded or killed; yet it continued to hold out with the greatest tenacity and grit.
The 1/9th went into the line on June 3rd and remained there until they were relieved on June 22nd.
June 7th:
The result of the recent actions were that on the morning of June 7th the 125th Brigade reported that the 1/6 Lancs Fusiliers were not able to be relieved due to a Turkish machine gun flanking their position. The Brigade proposed an attack, supported by artillery, along a line from the S.E. corner of the Vineyard to the Western Nullah. The objective of the 1/9th in the center was to capture trench G.11.
After dark on 7th June 100 men of C company of the 9th Battalion, along with two Companies of the Chatham Battalion of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, Royal Naval Division engaged in a frontal assault of the Turkish front line trenches. Although the 9th battalion succeeded in taking the Turkish trench, the Royal Naval Division failed to achieve their objective. Consequently, the 1/9th had to relinquish the trenches they had just captured at dawn.
Capt. GEORGE HAROLD OKELL and Lieut. ALBERT EDWARD STRINGER led the charge against one trench, and Capt. FRANK HAMER and 2/Lieut. JOHN (JACK) MAYALL WADE against the other trench. Capt. HAMER fell before reaching the trench. Lieut. STRINGER succeeded in reaching the trench but was subsequently killed by the enfilading fire from a machine gun. At least 20 men were killed and many more wounded.
Context from Despatches (Continued):
From the date of this battle to the end of the month of June the incessant attacks and counter-attacks which have so grievously swelled our lists of casualties have been caused by the determination of the Turks to regain ground they had lost, a determination clashing against our firm resolve to continue to increase our holding. Several of these daily encounters would have been the subject of a separate despatch in the campaigns of my youth and middle age, but, with due regard to proportion, they cannot even be so much as mentioned here.
On June 9th 2/Lt. PHILIP SIDNEY MARSDEN was reported wounded and on June 12, 2/Lt. ALLAN HARRISON HUDSON was reported missing (later reported to have been killed). Three days later Major MICHAEL HENRY CONNERY, the Battalion’s Quarter Master was slightly wounded when a Turkish shell hit his dug-out.
June 18:
An attack was planned to retake trench H.11 which had been partially re-taken by the Turks. However, 30 minutes before the attack the Turks heavily shelled the position causing the 88th Brigade to withdraw from the left. The allied attack was repulsed by the Turks who were already massed in the trenches for their own attack. They then counter-attacked causing trenches H.10 and H.11 to be entirely lost along with one machine gun and one trench mortar.
The initial attack was undertaken by B Company and included 2/Lt. JOHN MAYALL WADE and 2/Lt. ARTHUR WILLIAM FIELD CONNERY of C Company who had both volunteered to join them. Capt. HAROLD SUGDEN lead the attack and was mortally wounded. 2/Lt. WADE was seen jumping into a Turkish trench with six men and was never seen again.
The Turkish counter-attack was against a trench held by some men of C Company along with men of the 1/10th Manchesters. By the end of the fighting 2 Officers and 30 men had been killed, with dozens more wounded.
On June 22, 2/Lt. EDWARD BALMFORD and 16 men arrived from England, the first reinforcements to do so. An additional four men arriving on the 25th. The men from this draft are listed here.
The Battalion left the line on June 22nd but the next day the bivouac was heavily shelled requiring the 1/9th to move a further 600 yards back to their old bivouac but not before 9 men had been wounded. This just after they had suffered so heavily in the line.
July was a month of consolidation for the 42nd Division. The 1/9th were in the trenches from July 2 to July 18, then going to bivouac at divisional reserve. However, the number of deaths due to sickness and disease started to rise.
C company lost two Officers in early July. On July 5th 2/Lt. ARTHUR WILLIAM FIELD CONNERY was badly wounded in the mouth by shrapnel and went to hospital. Shortly after, on July 7th, 2/Lt. JOHN MATLEY ROBSON went to hospital with fever and died of enteric fever on July 17 in Egypt.
On July 10 2/Lieut. OLIVER JEPSON SUTTON and 969 Sgt. HARRY GRANTHAM made a reconnaissance at night, using string to measure their distance from their trench, and discovered that the Turks were digging to the S.E. of trench G12. They repeated their reconnaissance the following night to verify their observations.
On July 14, the recently arrived, 2/Lt. HARRY YORSTON DIXON was killed by shrapnel during an advance by 52nd Division and 2/Lt. EDWARD BALMFORD and 15 men were wounded. Two weeks later, on July 27, Lt. JOHN KNOWLES and 14 men were wounded.
On July 23, reinforcements arrived from England for all Infantry units of the 42nd Division. The 1/9th received 5 Officers and 222 men. The Officers arriving that day were:
The list of other ranks arriving that day is provided here.
July Fatalities:
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
When
How
Pte.
2202
JACK
HAGUE
03-Jul
Fever
Pte.
1457
JOHN
BRADY
09-Jul
Fever
Pte.
419
FREDERICK
O
WYATT
12-Jul
DoW
Sgt.
1271
JAMES
TAYLOR
12-Jul
DoW
Pte.
1501
GEORGE
MARKHAM
12-Jul
KIA
Pte.
1922
EDWARD
KELLY
12-Jul
KIA
Pte.
1218
JAMES
HOLLINGWORTH
14-Jul
Fever
Pte.
1688
JAMES
WILSHAW
15-Jul
KIA
Pte.
2207
BEN
THOMPSON
15-Jul
Died
L/Cpl.
1957
JAMES
ROWBOTTOM
18-Jul
Died
Sgt.
31
THOMAS
LOMAS
22-Jul
KIA
Pte.
1557
ISAAC
WALKER
22-Jul
KIA
Pte.
1787
FRED
JONES
26-Jul
DoW
L/Cpl.
1155
WILLIAM
BURKE
28-Jul
Fever
Lt.
JOHN
M
ROBSON
17-Jul
Fever
July Casualties:
Rank
No.
Forename
Middle
Surname
Pte.
1972
GEORGE
BARRATT
QMS
5
GEORGE
BOOCOCK
Pte.
1576
WILLIAM
PETER
BRIERLEY
Pte.
2138
JAMES
GARSIDE
BROADHURST
L/Cpl.
1665
HARRY
BYROM
Pte.
2036
ALBERT
COMMERFORD
Cpl.
1120
THOMAS
FORREST
Cpl.
2127
SIDNEY
GARSIDE
Pte.
379
THOMAS
GHENTY
Pte.
1369
ALBERT
GIBSON
Pte.
1368
WILLIE
GIBSON
Pte.
1909
WILLIAM
SIMPSON
HALL
Pte.
2160
THOMAS
JACKSON
Pte.
1334
CHARLES
LEE
Pte.
2013
ARTHUR
LILLEY
Sgt.
1310
HERBERT
MORRIS
Pte.
512
JOHN
MORGAN
L/Cpl.
1313
JAMES
WILLIAM
RAMSDALE
Pte.
1271
JAMES
TAYLOR
Pte.
2086
TIMOTHY
TIPTON
Pte.
1688
JAMES
WILSHAW
Pte.
1150
FRED
ARMITAGE
Pte.
680
THOMAS
HARGREAVES
Pte.
1954
JAMES
ALBERT
TRUEMAN
Pte.
1597
ERNEST
HAWKRIDGE
Pte.
1388
WILFRED
LOCKWOOD
Pte.
1755
EDWARD
SPRAGG
Pte.
2197
SAMUEL
YARDWOOD
Pte.
2018
WILLIAM
WILLIAMS
July Honors:
969 Sgt. HARRY GRANTHAM, DCM For conspicuous gallantry and ability south of Krithia, Gallipoli Peninsula, on 10th and 11th July 1915, when making a reconnaissance of the enemy’s new trenches under very dangerous circumstances. He gained valuable information and located the hostile positions. [Gazetted Sept 15, 1915].
Capt. OLIVER JEPSON SUTTON, MC
The War Diary for the 1/9th Battalion notes that both Sgt. GRANTHAM and Capt. SUTTON were congratulated by the Division Major-General for their reconnaisance work. Capt. SUTTON was subsequently awarded the Military Cross. [Gazetted Feb 1, 1916].
August Operations:
August saw the Battalion heavily engaged in the Battle of Krithia Vineyard from the 7th – 9th August and the rigours of front line trench warfare throughout the rest of the month.
Context from Despatches:
Once the date was decided a certain amount of ingenuity had to be called into play so as to divert the attention of the enemy from my main strategical conception. This-I repeat for the sake of clearness-was: – (1) To break out with a rush from Anzac and cut off the bulk of the Turkish Army from land communication with Constantinople. (2) To gain such a command for my artillery as to cut off the bulk of the Turkish Army, from sea traffic whether with Constantinople or with Asia. (3) Incidentally, to secure Suvla Bay as a winter base for Anzac and all the troops operating in the northern theatre. My schemes for hoodwinking the Turks fell under two heads: First, strategical diversions, meant to draw away enemy reserves not yet committed to the peninsula. Secondly, tactical diversions meant to hold up enemy reserves already on the peninsula.
But upon the 6th of August attacks in the south were only to form a subsidiary part of one great concerted attack. Anzac was to deliver the knock-down blow; Helles and Suvla were complementary operations.
As the aim of my action in this southern zone was to advance if I could, but in any case to contain the enemy and prevent him reinforcing to the northwards, I persevered on the 7th with my plans, notwithstanding the counter-attack of the Turks which was actually in progress.
On the right and on the centre the first enemy line was captured, and small parties pushed on to the second line, where they were unable to maintain themselves for long. On the, left but little ground was gained, and by 11a.m. what little had been taken had been relinquished. But in the centre a stiff battle raged all day up and down a vineyard some 200 yards long by 100 yards broad on the west of the Krithia road. A large portion of the vineyard had been captured in the first dash, and the East Lancashire men in this part of the field gallantly stood their ground here against a succession of vigorous counter-attacks.
Two specially furious counter-attacks were delivered by the Turks on the 8th August, one at 4.40 a.m. and another at 8.30 p.m., where again our bayonets were too much for them. Throughout the night they made continuous bomb attacks, but the 6th Lancashire Fusiliers and the 4th East Lancashire Regiment stuck gamely to their task at the eastern corner of the vineyard. There was desperate fighting also at the northern corner, where the personal bravery of Lieutenant W. T. Forshaw, 1/9th Manchester Regiment who stuck to his post after his detachment had been relieved (an act for which he has since been awarded the V.C.), was largely instrumental in the repulse of three very determined onslaughts.
The 1/9th went into the trenches on Aug 7, remaining there until Aug 13, and were divided into two separate groups.
On Aug 22 a draft of 4 Officers and 145 men (formerly of the 2/9th Battalion) arrived from England as reinforcements for the 1/9th. The Officers arriving that day were:
Lt. WILLIAM THOMAS FORSHAW, VC For most conspicuous bravery and determination in the Gallipoli Peninsula from 7th to 9th August, 1915. When holding the north-west corner of the “Vineyard” he was attacked and heavily bombed by Turks, whoi advanced time after time by three trenches which converged at this point, but he held his own, not only directing his men and encouraging them by by exposing himself with the utmost disregard to danger, but personally throwing bombs continuously for 41 hours. When his detachment was relieved after 24 hours he volunteered to continue the direction of operations. At three times during the night of 8-9th August he was again heavily attacked, and once the Turks got over the barricade, but, after shooting three with his revolver. he led his men forward and recaptured it. When he rejoined his Battalion he was choked and sickened by bomb fumes, badly bruised by a fragment of shrapnel, and could barely lift his arm from continuous bomb throwing. It was due to his personal example, magnificent courage and endurance that this very important corner was held. [Gazetted Sept 9, 1915]
180 Cpl. SAMUEL BAYLEY, DCM For conspicuous bravery on the 7th and 9th August 1915, at Cape Helles (Dardenelles), Cpl. BAYLEY remained with Lt. FORSHAW, VC; holding a barricade for forty-one hours continuously. On the evening of 8th August his party was relieved by another unit, but he volunteered to remain on. He displayed the greatest gallantry and endurance under the most trying circumstances in repelling many severe attacks, and when the barricade was at last broken through he was the foremost in the successful counter-attack, led by Lt. FORSHAW, which regained it, and finally retained it. On being ultimately relieved he was utterly exhausted by his arduous and gallant work of bomb-throwing. [Gazetted Nov 16, 1915]
2148 L/Cpl. STANLEY PEARSON, DCM For conspicuous gallantry on the 7th and 8th August 1915, at Gallipoli, when acting as a look-out man and sniper. He displayed great bravery and skill and although enfiladed from both flanks he remained at his post and by his example gave great encouragement to all with him. [Gazetted March 11, 1916]
2103 L/Cpl. THOMAS PICKFORD, DCM For conspicuous gallantry on the 8th August, 1915, at Gallipoli, when he rallied his party, which had been driven back by bombs in the Barricade of the Vineyard, and by his bravery and example was largely instrumental in saving a precarious position. [Gazetted March 11, 1916]
1347 Pte. REGINALD POTTS
On August 12, Pte. POTTS volunteered to join the bombing party of the 1/4th East Lancashire Regiment and subsequently was issued a Congratulatory Card for gallantry. [War Diary Aug 26th]
2/Lt. CHARLES EARSHAM COOKE, MC
The Battalion War Diary notes that the Brigadier-General of the 126th Brigade personally congratulated the commanding officer of the 1/9th Manchesters on the gallant behavior of Lt. FORSHAW, 2/Lt. COOKE and the 2 platoons under them. 2/Lt. COOKE was subsequently awarded the Military Cross. [Gazetted Feb 1, 1916]
September Operations:
September brought a welcome relief from the intense fighting of previous months but for the first time the number of sick exceeded those of the killed and wounded. As the number of men reporting sick increased, the 126th Brigade began to record the numbers of sick per Battalion, starting on September 14th. In the second half of September 104 men of the 1/9th went onto the sick list.
On Sept 1, Capt. FRANK WOODHOUSE went to hospital sick.
On the evening of Sept 2, Lt. ARTHUR CLAUDE VYVYAN-ROBINSON and a party of 14 men were detailed to dig a trench joining the current Firing Line with the Northern Barricade. As they made their way in the dark they lost their bearings, going too far East, and were fired on by the Royal Naval Division. Lt. VYVYAN-ROBINSON was wounded, one man was reported missing and three were wounded. A court of enquiry was held and the details passed to the Division.
The next day, on Sept 3 at around 2pm, the Turks exploded a mine right under a sap known as FOUR HOLE POST in the Firing Line where the 1/9th were located. The explosion destroyed the Sap and 12 yards of the Firing Line, killing 2 men and wounding 3 others. Four additional men were extracted suffering from shock.
On Sept 10 Lt. Col. ROBERT WORGAN FALCON, temporary commanding officer of the 1/9th reported sick. He was replaced the next day by Major RODERICK LIVINGSTONE LEES of the 1/6 Lancs Fusiliers who had distinguished himself in August at the Battle of Krithia Vineyard.
The 1/9th went into the trenches on September 18th and remained there until October 1st. A few days later on Sept 20 Capt. GEORGE WILLIAM HANDFORTH reported sick. He was quickly followed by Lt. WILLIAM GILBERT GREENWOOD on the 22nd and by Lt. HAROLD EDWARD BUTTERWORTH on the 25th.
On Sept 27 Major RODERICK LIVINGSTONE LEES was awarded the DSO and on Sept 30 he relinquished command of the 1/9th and Major WILLIAM JAMES ANDERSON (of the 33rd Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment) assumed command.
October saw the number of men reporting sick spike to 143 even as the number of killed and wounded dropped to the lowest levels of the campaign.
The 1/9th were relieved from the trenches on October 1st and moved to Divisional Reserve at GEOGHEGAN’S BLUFF. Here they were mostly engaged in fatigues supporting the extensive mining and digging work going on in the trenches. They later moved to Bivouac at GULLY BEACH.
On October 6th a small draft of 25 other ranks arrived. The following day a draft of 5 Officers from other regiments (Essex and South Lancs) arrived and were assigned temporarily to the 1/9th.
2/Lt. JOHN BROADBENT of the transport section also reported sick this day followed by Capt. DOUGLAS BUCHANAN STEPHENSON on October 10th.
On October 14th the Battalion moved back to the line; half the Battalion with the 1/10th Manchesters and half with the 1/5th East Lancs. The split made for tactical reasons to maximize the use of senior Officers and NCOs across the Brigade. A & C companies attached to the 1/5th East Lancs under Capt. FRANK WOODHOUSE and B & D companies to the 1/10th Manchesters under Capt. FREDERICK WILLIAM KERSHAW. The Battalion remained in the trenches until October 29th.
On October 16, Capt. ERIC RICHARDSON was appointed Staff Captain of the 126th Brigade and left the Battalion.
On October 19th Major WILLIAM JAMES V. ANDERSON was killed by a bomb while visiting the trenches. He was temporarily replaced by Lt. Col. GODFREY WALKER ROBINSON of the 1/10th Manchesters.
On October 22 a draft of 3 Officers and 139 men, of the 2/9th Battalion, arrived from England. The Officers arriving that day were:
The list of other ranks who landed that day is provided here.
And on October 26th a further 11 Officers arrived from England, (and 110 other ranks returning from hospital in Egypt). The Officers arriving this day were as shown below:
October brought only three fatalities at Gallipoli, Pte. Armitage dying at home from sickness contracted overseas.
Rank
No.
1st Name
MI
Surname
When
How
Pte.
1998
SAMUEL
ARMITAGE
3-Oct
Died
L/Sgt.
2139
GILBERT
HIGHAM
7-Oct
DoW
Pte.
2630
HARVEY
THOMPSON
17-Oct
KIA
Pte.
1343
TOM
HALL
20-Oct
KIA
October Casualties:
The only man listed in the following month’s London Times casualty lists was 1179 Pte. SAMUEL E. BOSNALL.
November Operations:
Disease, sickness and heavy rain that turned to snow blizzards and frost in November of 1915 created new hardships and claimed yet more casualties. The 9th Battalions numbers were dwindling fast despite three significant drafts of reinforcements from England arriving in July, August and October.
In November 117 men reported sick, a slight reduction from the previous month. Nevertheless, 3 Officers (Capt. FREDERICK WILLIAM KERSHAW, Lt. L. G. NASH, RAMC (attached) and 2/Lt. WILLIAM NEVILLE BROADBENT BURY) all reported sick on the same day, November 9th.
The Battalion moved into the line again on November 12th and remained there until November 26th. On the 15th a very heavy rainfall occurred filling some parts of the trenches to a depth of 3 feet. Despite the terrible conditions the Turks were relatively quiet until the 23rd when heavy shelling and a large number (40-50) stick grenades were fired at the trenches. 2/Lt. IRVINE DEARNALEY was killed this day.
On the 26th November the Battalion was relieved and went into Bivouac in GULLY RAVINE. A period of heavy fatigues followed for the remainder of the month. On November 29, 2/Lt. SYDNEY NAYLOR, recently arrived the previous month, was wounded.
Context from Despatches:
During the month of November, beyond the execution of very clever and successful minor enterprises carried out by Corps Commanders with a view to maintaining an offensive spirit in their commands, there remains little to record-except that an increased activity of the the Turkish artillery against our front became a noticeable factor.
On the 21st November the Peninsula was visited by a storm said to be nearly unprecedented for the time of the year. The storm was accompanied by torrential rain, which lasted for 24 hours. This was followed by hard frost and a heavy blizzard.
In December 54 men reported sick. 2/Lt. ARTHUR JAMES SOUTHCOTT reported sick on December 5th, returning to the Battalion (from 17th Stationary Hospital) on the 10th. The next day he reported sick again. In the meantime, 2/Lt. GEORGE FREDERICK BARKER, (who arrived with 2/Lt. SOUTHCOTT in November), also reported sick on December 8th.
2/Lt. LAIRD KIRWAN and 2/Lt. GEORGE GREENE-KELLY were transferred to the 1/10th Manchesters on the 8th December.
The Battalion went into the Line on December 10th and remained there until December 24th, moving to Divisional Reserve at GEOGHEGAN’S BLUFF. On December 17th Brigade Operational Order 28 was issued outlining a plan to explode a mine in front of the Turkish trenches with the objective of creating a crater. Men of the Brigade would go out the the crater and secure it by building barricades. The purpose of these small offensive operations carried out by the 52nd and 42nd Divisions was to act as a distraction during the evacuation of troops elsewhere on the peninsula.
Unfortunately, the mine that was exploded (600lbs at a depth of 40 ft) failed to produce a crater, the force of the explosion creating a ridge of earth only about 1 foot high. 16 bombers, a working party under 2/Lt. ALFRED GRAY and 26 men of B company dutifully went over the top and occupied the depression. With the Turkish trenches untouched, they were mercilessly shot at from the front and the right. Finding the position untenable the troops eventually were forced to retire. The casualties reported for the 1/9th on the day were 3 killed, 1 missing and 11 wounded. 2/Lt. GRAY, Sgt. GREENHALGH and Cpl. BARKER were mentioned in the Brigade war diary for showing “great courage and ability remaining out and covering the retirement of the parties although fired at from 12yds range.” Sgt. GREENHALGH and Cpl. DAVIS subsequently received DCMs for their acts of bravery that day.
A letter from Sgt. GREENHALGH was subsequently published in the Ashton Reporter on Saturday July 15, 1916 providing a version of the events in his own words:
“No doubt it came as a surprise at home when they heard that I had got theD.C.M. I can tell you it was a surprise to me also. The first I heard about it was in a letter I had from home, but the day following our commanding officer told me about it. As you are all wanting to know what I did to get it, I will try to tell you.
It was on the 19th December, 1915, I was ordered to take a party of men over the top, and we got to within ten yards of the Turkish trench. At the same time there was a mine blown up. It should have made a big hole in the front of the Turkish trench. The intention was for us to have got in this hole, but when we got to the place no hole had been made, and we had to lie in the open, and the Turks potting at us from ten yards away. It was a good job the Turks were nervous, or else there would have been none of us left to tell the tale.
The object was for us to get in the crater and build it up with sandbags, and then our bombers could have bombed the Turks out of their trench, but it didn’t come off as we expected. Anyway, we all got back to our trench except one poor lad who was killed.
Lance-Corporal Davies, D.C.M. was with the same party of men.”
On the 26th December, orders were received to leave the Peninsula, and on the 27th a Turkish shell made a direct hit on the Battalion bivouac killing a number of men in a cruel last minute reminder of the constant dangers they were leaving behind. Pte. Arthur Slater was buried alive and only survived because he was dug out by his comrades. The next day the 9th Battalion embarked on H.M.T. Redbreast bound for Mudros West.
Context from Despatches:
The following is taken from Sir Charles Monro’s Gallipoli Despatch, who was sent to replace the sacked Sir Ian Hamilton as Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.
On the 8th December, consequent on your Lordship’s orders, I directed the General Officer Commanding Dardanelles Army to proceed with the evacuation of Suvla and Anzac at once.
Lieutenant-General Birdwood proceeded on receipt of his orders with the skill and promptitude which is characteristic of all that he undertakes, and after consultation with Rear-Admiral Wemyss, it was decided, provided the weather was propitious, to complete the evacuation on the night of the 19th-20th December.
On the 24th December, General Sir W. Birdwood was directed to make all preliminary preparations for immediate evacuation, in the event of orders to this effect being received.
The Divisional Order of Battle and Field State report for May 1-5t, 1915 indicates that 958 enlisted men of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment embarked for Gallipoli. During the campaign a series of small drafts brought and additional 524 men to replace those who had been killed or had left due to sickness or wounds. The Embarkation Return for the evacuation of the peninsula on December 27, 1915 listed just 469 remaining men. Acknowledging a handful of men who were repatriated towards the end of the campaign as time expired still leaves a staggering 68% casualty rate excluding those who were temporarily medically evacuated and returned after treatment and convalescence.
At least 192 men of the 1/9th Battalion died from the fighting, sickness or disease they were exposed to at Gallipoli. Many more men were wounded or otherwise hospitalised and approximately 100 men were awarded the Silver War Badge and discharged from service due to sickness or wounds they were unable to fully recover from.
Pte. 3765 Fred Dickinson serves as an example. He was discharged as permanently unfit for any kind of military service and awarded the Silver War Badge on March 23, 1916 suffering from Nephritis. His Service Record shows that his medical issues “originated on December 18, 1915 in Gallipoli. Sent into hospital in Cairo on account of general dropsy and discovered to be suffering from Nephritis. No history of previous illness of a similar nature. States that while on active service in the trenches he had to stand waist deep in water for a considerable time during a severe storm. Heart sounds fine but there is an accentuated sound heard at the apex. Urine contained albumen and blood is still present. Result of active service, exposure to cold and wet. Permanent [Disability].”
Pte. Dickinson only arrived in the Dardanelles on October 22, 1915 and was admitted to the Red Cross Hospital in Giza, just over two months later, on December 26 suffering from oedema to the legs (a swelling due to the accumulation of excessive fluid in the tissues). He was subsequently invalided to the UK leaving Alexandria on January 17, 1916 sailing on the Hospital Ship GLENGORN CASTLE. He was subsequently treated in the UK for 38 days at the 4th Scottish General Hospital, RAMC (Territorial Force) at Stobhill, Glasgow. He received a small, and decreasing, military pension over the next nine months following his discharge.
December Honors:
The Battalion War Diary on December 18 reports that three Congratulatory Cards from the Major-General Commanding the Division were received for:
No 5 QMS G BOOCOCK
400 Sgt. Mjr. Cook JOHN CHAPMAN
1659 Pte. P. WOODRUFF
And, in a rather belated recognition of their efforts, the Battalion War Diary for March 1916 reported that Cards of Congratulation were received from the Major-General Commanding the 42nd Division, for good work done in Gallipoli for the following men:
341 Sgt. JOHN LEE 2146 Cpl. PLATT A.
728 L/Cpl. GREEN A.
2826 Pte. SMITH A.
2231 Pte. WILLIAM SHEEKEY
2067 Pte. JOSEPH S. SWINDELLS