Lest we Forget

George Ackerley 1890 – 1915
1890: Born 28 August in Carrington, the son of Joseph and Sarah Ackerley

1891: Aged 2, census, just Carrington

1901: Aged 10, living at 577 Liverpool Road, Irlam

1911: Aged 20, living at 577 Liverpool Road, Irlam. Employed as a box maker at the Soap works

1914: Enlisted in November to Manchester Regiment , 11th Battalion Service Number: 13635

1915: The 11th Battalion disembarked at Gallipoli on 14th July 1915 and on 6th August they took part in the assault landings at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli

1915: Died 22nd August in Gallipoli, grave unknown, commemorated at Helles Memorial

His obituary described him as a fine type of British soldier. Medal Entitlement: 15 Star Trio. His younger brother, Hugh, served with the 7th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment.

 

James Bleasdale 1895 – 1915
1895: Born in Carrington on 16th June and baptised in St. George’s church on 25th August. Son of Edmund Bleasdale and Alice (Nee Hardy) of Carrington. His Mother’s family is recorded having lived in Carrington since 1791.

1901: Aged 5, living with his family in Halls Cottages with his sisters Hannah and Sarah

1911: Aged 16, working as a Grocery shop assistant.

1914: Aged 19, the former electric motor driver enlisted at Manchester on 9 November.

1915: Aged 20, killed in action on 27 December in Gelibolu, Canakkale, Turkey (Battle of Gallipoli )

Buried in Redoubt Cemetery, Cape Helles, Gallipoli ; commemorated there by a special memorial.

 

Sidney Foster 1892- 1916
1892: Born Carrington

1901: Aged 9, lived at Old School Lane, Carrington

1911: Living with Grandmother, 34 Heyes Rd, Cadishead

1915: Enlisted to Grenadier Guards, 3rd Battalion Service Number: 21794

1916: Post to Flanders and France with 3rd Grenadiers

1916: Aged 23, Died in Lesboeufs, France 14 September

Burial: Serre Road Cemetery No.2, CWGC Cemetery/Memorial, Somme,France

A few days before he died he wrote a cheerful letter to his aunt and elderly and sick grandmother in which he said there was no likelihood of his getting leave granted, as some of his comrades had been out since the Battle of Loos in 1915 and had not been home.

He was sorry to read that several local soldiers had been taken prisoner,but hoped they would not have too bad a time: “I don’t think anybody knows how long or how short the war will be. It is getting terrible out here, but that’s all I know about. The guns are roaring like thunder night and day. Don’t be alarmed if you don’t hear from me for a few days. We have had a brass band playing selections for us at night. I hope I shall see you before long, and that this terrible war will be over. We have travelled a lot, and I have seen thousands of soldiers from all over England but no one that I knew. I have seen some of the Cheshire’s. I wish I was there or close to it” (Cheshire is only across the Ship Canal from Hayes Road where he lived). In another letter home he said, “I hope my luck will stick to me, I think it will in answer to my grandmother’s prayers”. Sadly this was not to be the case.

On 14th September 1916, the battalion was in assembly positions east of Ginchy on the Somme. At 6.20am on the following day they advanced as part of the Guards Brigade attack towards Lesboeufs, but before the battalion had reached and cleared the first objective it had sustained heavy casualties. On 16th September the battalion was relieved and withdrawn to Bernafay Wood. It had suffered 412 casualties during this period. Official records list Sydney’s date of death as Thursday, 14th September 1916, however, it has never been exactly established when he died. He was certainly killed in the above attack, sometime between 14th and 17th September 1916 at the age of 23. He is buried in the Serre Road Cemetery No. 2, Beaumont Hamel, Somme, France, but the exact location of his grave within the cemetery is unknown. He is therefore commemorated on a special memorial headstone which states “Buried near this spot”. The local newspaper reported that “he was deservedly held in high regard by all who knew him”. His death was keenly felt by his relatives and friends. His grandmother was then 81 years old and in feeble health. Medal Entitlement: 15 Star Trio

 

 

Joseph Leeming 1886 – 1916
1886: Born in Carrington

1891: Aged 5, Living at Rose Cottage, Father Alfred and Mother Alice, five sisters and two brothers

1901: Aged 15, Family moved to Northwich

1911: Aged 25, Llysfaen, Caernarvonshire, Wales, a farmer labourer

1915 Enlisted into the 12th Battalion, London Regiment on the 9th December 1915 | Service number: T.F.9555

1916 Transferred to: Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex) Regiment, 1st 7th Battalion on 31st July 1916

1916 Admitted into a Field Ambulance on the 21st August 1916. Discharged 28th August 1916

1916: Died in Flanders and France on 16th September. No grave marker, commemorated at Thiepval Memorial.

 

Jesse Walton 1889-1918
Abt April1889 Born in Carrington, parents John Walton and Mary Grimshaw

1891: Somewhere on what is now Manchester Road, with his family aged 2,

1901: Boarder at Westwood Lodge age 12 (A residential School at this time)

1911: Census Riverside Cottages, labourer Teamsman on Farm

A member of the St George’s Choir

1913: Moved to Church View, Buck Lane, Ashton upon Mersey, where he met and married Clara Renshaw

1915: Enlisted Regiment: 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, Service number 24579

1916: Posted to France

1918: Died of wounds 3rd September Flanders, France

Commemorated\Buried Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps Grave\Panel Ref: III.J.1.

County Memorial Ashton upon Mersey

He was involved in the Battle of the Somme and was in much heavy fighting. In 1917, he was fighting up in Messines and Passchendale. Moving into position ready for an attack on Beugny scheduled to commence at 05.15 hrs the next day. Before the attach took place, German artillery opened up and caused many casualties in the trenches. German machine guns were very

active causing many casualties once the attack had started.

 

Arthur Atkinson 1898 – 1918
1898: Born in Carrington, Parents: William and Sarah Atkinson

1901: Census: 25 Liverpool Road, Irlam

1911: Census – 17 Liverpool Road, Irlam.

1917: Drafted to France – Regiment: Manchester Regiment , 2nd/5th Battalion Service Number: 202296

1918: Died 14th October, Flanders and France. Taken prisoner and died as a Prisoner of War

Burial: Erquelinnes, Arrondissement de Thuin, Hainaut, Belgium

 

Thomas Albert Barlow 1900 – 1918
1900: Born 3 August in Northwich 3rd August

1901: Lived in Plumbley, Cheshire

1911: Aged 10, Living on School Lane, Carrington

Regiment The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment , 53rd Graduated Battalion

Service Number: 85965

1918 Died 22 Oct at home from wounds, aged 18. Buried at St George’s graveyard, Carrington

 

James (Jim) Holt 1891–1916
1891: Born in Carrington 11th August , Parents Joseph Holt III and Emma Brown. The Holt family records in Carrington go back to 1775.

1901: lived at Back Lane, Carrington [area of School Lane M31 4AQ]

1911: Occupation Printer’s compositor. Address: Back Lane, Carrington.

1913: Completed his apprenticeship at A Megson & Sons on 1/9/1913. Megson’s printing works was on the NE corner of Cambridge Street & Chester Street, Manchester [M1 5GF]. A Megson & Son was run in 1911 by Clarence Henry Megson, brother-in-law of Amy Winifred Noar, friend and Carrington neighbour of Jim’s sister Amy Lois Holt.

1914: Enlisted in Manchester Regiment, 18th Battalion.(Manchester Pals)

Service number: 10027. Grey eyes. Dark brown hair. 6′. 150 lb. Skin rash (psoriasis) both legs. Home address: Moss Cottage, Carrington [area of Moss Green M31 4BE].

1916: 20th April died of broncho-pneumonia at No. 8 General Hospital, Rouen, France .

Buried: Bois Guillaume Communal Cemetery, CWGC Cemetery/Memorial, Seine-Maritime,France, I.D.15

Commemorated on the private family gravestone in St. George’s, Churchyard. “A beautiful memory left behind”.

 

Alfred Holt 1891 -1919
1891: Born in Carrington on 23 August, Parents George and Mary Holt

1901: Aged 10, lived at Back Lane, Carrington [area of School Lane M31 4AQ]

1911: Aged 19, lived at Maypole Cottages, Worked as a Corn Miller at the Corn Mill

1915: Aged 23, enlisted 1st Royal Marines Battalion Royal Naval Division ,Royal Marine Light Infantry, 9 November.

06/8/15 Bomb wound over left eye

29/9/15 rejoined 2nd Royal Marines Battalion

08/10/15 transferred to 1st Royal Marines Battalion

10/11/18 Gun Shot Wound to left foot

15/12/18 Invalided to UK

1919: Aged 27, Died of wounds at home 30 March

Buried at St. George’s Churchyard, Carrington