Welcome to my blog......

The purpose of this blog is to remember the fallen heroes of the Great War, whose names are recorded on the memorial plaque situated in St Barnabas Church, New Whittington, Chesterfield.

To mark the centenary of World War 1 I aim to research all of the men on the memorial. I hope to ensure that the brave men who gave their lives for their country 100 years ago are remembered and each man's story told.

I would love to hear from anyone who may have information regarding the men; photos, letters or passed down memories. Any descendents are most welcome to contact me and I will provide copies of the research that I have undertaken.

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left to grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them"

For The Fallen,
Laurence Binyon September 1914.

Showing posts with label Passchendaele. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Passchendaele. Show all posts

Tuesday, 3 April 2018

WILLIAM HENRY TOLLEY

WILLIAM HENRY TOLLEY


Lance Corporal 20296

1/5th West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own)

Killed in action - 3rd April 1918


William Henry Tolley was born in 1891 at East Ham in Essex the son of Samuel and Phoebe Tolley.  His father Samuel was working as a dock labourer at the time but he was a coal miner by trade.  Samuel and Phoebe (nee Crampton) married in 1873 at Dudley in Staffordshire.  The couple moved around the country during their married lives, most likely travelling to wherever work could be found.

Samuel and Phoebe had thirteen children in between the years of 1873 and 1895, William was the eleventh child.  Sadly only eight of the children lived into adulthood; Samuel born 1878, twins Samuel and Wisdom born 1883, Phoebe born 1889 and Phoebe born 1895 all died as infants or toddlers.  

The surviving children were; Richard, Alice, Mary Ann*, John, Matilda, Elizabeth Mercy, William and Albert.  The family moved to live in Barlborough around 1892 just after William was born.  On the 1901 census they were living at California Lane, Barlborough and Samuel was employed as a coal miner once more.  

A new century dawns....

The decade of the 1900's brought with it much change for the Tolley family.  On 15th September 1904 William's brothers Richard and John set sail on the Ionian destined for Quebec, Canada.  They arrived on 21st of September and began their new lives. 

The men no doubt wrote home to their parents and told the Tolley family how wonderful it was living in Canada.  Canada was actively seeking immigrants to work in its country, the boom years of British immigration into the country were 1912 and 1913 when the numbers made up 39% of Canada's total immigrants.  

The lure of the new country must have encouraged William as on 17th June 1910 he to set sail from Liverpool to Quebec.  William was aged 19 years and worked as a coal miner at the time.  He sailed 3rd Class on the Empress of Britain and arrived on 23rd June 1910.

1911 the eve of war....

Samuel and Phoebe were living at 97 Cresswell Road, Clowne by now.  Richard had returned from Canada and Albert was also still living with them.  William and John do not appear on the UK 1911 Census so we can assume that they were settled in Canada.  The girls had left the family home; 

Alice married James Stretton in 1893 they had three children Thomas, Clarence and Constance.  James died sometime between 1901 and 1911 as Alice was living in Leeds as a widow with her three children on the 1911 Census.

Matilda was working as a cook for the Harper family in Idle, West Yorkshire.  The head of the household James Harper was a business owner in the woollen textile trade. 

I have not located (Elizabeth) Mercy on the 1911 census. 

Canada beckons....

Having heard stories from their children it seems the idea of a new life in Canada also appealed to Samuel and Phoebe and so in August 1913 they to set sail for a new beginning.  They sailed with Richard and Albert on the Empress of Ireland and arrived on 14th August 1913.  Richard had already done this exciting journey he would be able to lead the family through the process of immigration.

Once in Canada the Tolley family started a new life in Fernie, British Columbia.  The city is located in the south east of British Columbia and is surrounded by the Canadian Rocky Mountains.  The city was founded in 1898 and grew in 1904 when it was officially declared a city.  The area was home to the Crowsnest Coalfield which would no doubt have been the lure for the Tolley family.  




William however did return to England as on 15th February 1915 he married his sweetheart Mary Ellen Fortune Taylor at St Mary's Church, Laisterdyke, Yorkshire.  William was aged 24 and worked as an engineer, Mary was slightly older at 26 years of age.  Mary was the daughter of grocer Herbert Taylor.  Both gave the address of 34 Campbell Street.  Two witnesses signed the marriage register Margaret Ellen Fortune and "Herb" Fortune.

Celebrations soon followed when on 14th June 1916 a son was born to the young couple.  They named him after his father William Henry Robert Tolley.




William's war....

On 27th January 1916 the Military Service Act was announced, this act deemed that all single men aged between 18 and 41 were automatically conscripted into the Army Reserve from 2nd March 1916, unless they fell into certain categories.  As a recently married man, William was exempt from this act.

A further amendment to the Act was passed on 25th May 1916 which now included married men.  William was now eligible for conscription into general service with the Army.  He would receive a call up notice which would tell him of the date and place he was requested to enlist at.  There would also be general posters around the local area and in the newspapers advising the men of what was expected of them, each man had a duty to make sure he was informed of his obligations.

William signed his papers on 21st June 1916 at Halifax, West Yorkshire.  He was aged 25 years and 219 days and worked as a foreman at the time.  He was placed with the 7th Reserve West Yorkshire Regiment and given his own regimental number of Private 6023.  

It appears that William had a few days to enjoy time with his family after enlisting as his home service commenced three days later on 24th June 1916.  This would have been especially important to William and Mary as their first child had been born only weeks earlier on 14th June 1916*.  

Once attested William would be taught the art of warfare, how to march, use weapons and would partake in physical fitness activities.  On 9th December he was ready to see active service and he set sail from Folkstone landing in Boulogne that same day.  On Christmas Eve of 1916 William was posted to the 1/5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment.  His regimental number was also changed to Private 202916.  His wife and six month old son would be spending Christmas Eve without him.




Active service....

The 1/5th West Yorkshire Regiment was part of the 146th Brigade, 49th West Riding Division.  They had landed in Boulogne to join the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F) in April 1915 and taken part in some major battles of the war so far, including; the Battle of Albert (Somme), Bazentine Ridge, Poziers and Flers-Courcette.  

William joined up with the battalion at the village of Bouquemaison which is located in the Somme area.  The war diary gives the following account of Christmas Day 1916, the day which William most likely joined the battalion;

"Christmas Day.  H.Q and party of A Coy bathed in the Bde Baths a(t) Bouquemaison.  The men had Christmas Dinner at midday.  Officers dinner at H.Q at 8pm.  No work on training was done.  Reinforcement of 68 O R joined the Battn, the majority being from the 3/7th and 3/8th West Yorks Regt".

The following days were spent with further training in musketry, Lewis Gun fire, bomber training and bayonet fighting.  Working parties were sent out wood cutting and other general duties.  

William probably took his first taste of life in the trenches on 6th January 1917 when the battalion relieved the 19th Manchester Regiment in trenches at Bailleulmont.  The enemy fire was relatively quiet but work was hard for the men as they were put to pumping out the water from the trenches, general repairs and erecting some head cover for the men to shelter under.  The weather was bad, heavy rain was filling up the trench system and rendering their jobs impossible.  On 9th January the battalion received its first fatality since William had joined, when enemy gun fire killed a man of A Coy returning from a working party.  On 11th January they were relieved by the 1/6th West Yorkshire Regiment and took up their billets back in the village of Bailleulmont.

Life for William and his comrades would continue in this way for the months through till May 1917, taking tours of the trenches, working parties, training and rest in the billets.  In May of 1917 however the training became more intensive, they were given four days training which included a "tactical scheme and full attack practice".  The men were being prepared for an upcoming attack to be carried out jointly by the British and the French forces.

Secret plans....

The 49th West Riding Division were part of the force which were to launch an attack on the Belgium coast.  The intention was to regain hold of the stretch of Belgium coastline which was in the enemy's hands.  The plan was named "Operation Hush" and was to take place in July or August 1917.

William's battalion moved to Estaires and then on to Oost Dunkirke by mid July in anticipation and continued their specialist training.  However the attack was eventually cancelled due to the lack of advance from Ypres.  The enemy gained information regarding the planned invasion and set about a massive attack on the British to offset Operation Hush.



The battle of Poelcapelle....

Part of the Third Battle of Ypres; In October 1917 the 1/5th battalion found themselves in the middle of a terrible run of wet weather, the rains came down so heavily the ground was like a quagmire.  The men were close to Wieltje and ordered to take up assembly positions on 9th October.  Due to the weather they would have trudged through miles of mud and were worn out before they had even reached the assembly point.  The attack commenced on the Passchendaele Ridge at 5.20 am and saw most of the allies advances eventually being pushed back to their starting points.  Only the villages of Veldhoek and Poelcapelle made any advancement, by 6.40 am the battalion had taken its first objective.  They managed to hold on to their positions until the night of the 10th when they were relieved and fell back to the Reserve Line at Wieltje.  

The B.E.F recorded around 12,000 troops wounded, missing and killed on the days of 9th and 10th October 1917.  For the battalion these numbers were also high;


"Officers - 4 killed, 8 wounded, 2 missing
Other ranks - 48 killed, 182 wounded, 44 missing"

On 17th October the men paraded for the II Anzac Company Commander and he complemented them "on their gallant attack on Passchendaele Ridge".  

Promotion....

William received recognition for his service and experience when on 12th December 1917 he was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.  This was an unpaid role until 20th when he was awarded the salary to reward his higher rank.

1918....

The early months of 1918 were spent in and out of front line trenches, providing working parties and undertaking training at several brigade camps around the Ypres area.  At the end of March they were in the line at Glenclose Wood Tunnel and were relived on 30th by the 1st Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry.  The men marched to the Scottish Wood Camp the next day attending a Church parade service in the Y.M.C.A hut at nearby Forester Camp.  The battalion were joined by reinforcements of 68 other ranks and were inspected by the Commanding Officer.

The rest was brief and at 6pm on 1st April the men marched to relieve the 1/5th Yorks & Lancaster Regiment in the line near Birr Cross Roads.  Relief was completed by 11.15 pm with no casualties sustained.  The 2nd April was described as a fairly quiet day until the enemy "put over in all about 50 gas shells".  A patrol of six ordinary ranks were sent out into "no-mans land" and reported hearing the enemy talking in their occupied front line trenches.  

The following day the 3rd April saw much more heavy artillery fire into the reserve trenches.  B Company were stationed at Jargow Tunnel and "were heavily shelled about 7.30 am and one of the entrances to the tunnel was blown in".  The war diary records the following list of casualties for 3rd April 1918;


"Casualties killed 4 OR (shell), wounded 1 OR accidental"

Lance Corporal William Henry Tolley was reported as killed in action in the activity on that day.  



William was buried at the Menin Road South Military Cemetery in Belgium, grave ref; III.D.9

Williams grave shows the sign of the cross and the loving inscription was also added by his wife Mary and family;

"GOD BE WITH YOU TILL WE MEET AGAIN"


Lance Corporal William Henry Tolley 202916 was awarded the Victory and British Medals for his service.

William was remembered in the Derbyshire Times, 4th May 1918 page 4.  The obituary included a photograph of Henry and read....

"A former resident of New Whittington
Lance. Corpl. William Henry Tolley (27)
West Yorkshire Regt., has been killed in action.

He was the third son of the late Mr S Tolley,
and of Mrs Tolley, Fernie, British Columbia, late
of New Whittington and Clowne.

His wife and two children live at Leeds"


Life went on....

Mary Tolley was living alone at 21A Back Lane, Bradford in 1939.  She never remarried but held the memory of her beloved William and what could have been if only the war had not reared its ugly head.  

She was awarded a weekly pension of 20s 5p for her and one child which commenced on 21st October 1918.  The newspaper article informing of William's death states that there were two children to the marriage.  I have only found the one son, if any one knows differently please let me know.

Mary died in 1970 aged 82 years of age.

William Henry Robert Tolley would never remember meeting his brave father.  He no doubt had a photograph or a keepsake which would keep the memory of William alive forever.  

William married Edith Hemingway in 1939.  I believe they had a son and daughter in 1940 and 1947 respectively.  William died in Ryedale in 1973 he was 77 years old.  

Samuel & Phoebe Tolley were still living in Canada during WW1.  Samuel died not long after he had emigrated, never knowing that his son William would lose his life to the war.  Samuel died on 30th March 1915 aged 73 years.  He was buried at St Margaret's Cemetery at Fernie, British Columbia.  

Phoebe died on 11th November 1920 aged 68 years old.  She too was buried at St Margaret's Cemetery in Fernie.

Richard Tolley also lived his life in Canada.  He died on 6th December 1939 at Kamloops, British Columbia.  

Alice Stretton was to remain a widow.  She lived in Leeds in 1939 and died there a year later.  

John Tolley was living in Fernie, British Columbia in 1921.  He worked as a coal miner and had ten children; Albert, Dorothy, Annie, Alice, Raymond, Harold, Sampson, John, Mildred and Phoebe.

John remained in Fernie until he died on 25th May 1950.  His wife Annie died there a few years earlier in 1947.

Matilda and (Elizabeth) Mercy Tolley boarded the ship named the Victorian at Liverpool destined for Canada.  The two sister's travelled to live with their family members in Fernie.  They arrived on 7th July 1920, just months before their mother Phoebe died.  Matilda worked as a cook and Mercy as a tailoress.

Matilda died aged just 43 years old on 14th January 1930, she was buried with her parents in St Margaret's Cemetery.

Mercy married Robert Gash on 28th December 1926 at Victoria, British Columbia.  The couple a daughter named Joan a few years later.  Mercy died aged 69 years old on 9th July 1956.

Albert Tolley also remained in Fernie, British Columbia.  He died aged 65 years old on 2nd November 1959 and was buried along with his parents and sister Matilda at St Margaret's Cemetery, Fernie.

* Mary Ann Tolley - possible child.  The 1911 census states Samuel and Phoebe Tolley had 13 children - 8 living and 5 dead.  I have only been able to fully document 12 of these children at this time.


*****

Another local man named Frank Fareham also lost his life on the same day as William whilst serving with the 1/5th West Yorkshire Regiment.  His story can be found via the link here.

*****

If you may be connected to this family or have any further information on William Henry Tolley or his family please do either leave comments via the pen icon below or drop me an email.

I hope that I have not given details of living persons, if so please advise and I will remove immediately.

Please note all information has been taken from online indexes and sources.  Due to the sheer numbers of people to be researched I am unable to purchase vital event certificates to confirm my research.

*****

With kind thanks to the Derbyshire Times Newspaper
for permission to use the photograph of 
William Henry Tolley in this blog.

*****


Ref and further reading  -

Census
Parish registers
Service records - www.ancestry.co.uk 
Medal rolls
Soldiers who died in the Great war
Register of soldiers effects
Newspaper articles - 
Derbyshire Times obituary - 4th May 1918 page 4

CWGC  http://www.cwgc.org

War diaries -


Recruitment WW1

Wednesday, 2 August 2017

JOHN COLLINS

JOHN COLLINS

Private 7029

1st Battalion Sherwood Forester Regiment 

Killed in action - 31st July 1917


John Collins was the first born child of Thomas and Margaret Collins.  He was born in 1884 at New Whittington.  His father Thomas hailed from Ireland, he married Margaret Flynn in 1882 and set up home in New Whittington where Thomas worked as a coke burner.

In 1891 the family lived in Crown Yard and had grown in numbers, John had a brother named Edward and two sisters Margaret and May. Over the next ten years more children were born to the Collins family; Tom jnr, Stephen, Ellen and Annie.  Perhaps due to its growing size the family had moved to live at 118 High Street, New Whittington. John was 16 years of age and worked as a colliery pony driver, he would contribute his small wages to the family and help clothe and feed his siblings.  

A change in direction for John....

Tragedy struck for the Collins family when in the July of 1900 John's younger brother, 14 year old Edward was killed in an accident whilst working underground at the Seymour Colliery.  The Derbyshire Times covered the story stating that Edward was found already deceased under one of the loading tubs which must have come uncoupled from its pully. 

To lose a young brother in such sad circumstances may have played a pivotal role in John's next decision, he decided to broaden his horizons and joined the local Militia Regiment.

On 8th July 1901 he enlisted with the 3rd Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters).  He was aged 18 years and 2 months old, had blue eyes and a "fresh complexion" stood at 5ft 6" tall and weighed 122lbs.  John signed up for 6 years service and was given the soldier number Private 8430.  The Militia was a voluntary regiment tied alongside the regular army.  John would undertake training and be ready to be called up should the nation need extra reinforcements.

Everyday life in New Whittington....

The Collins family grew in numbers even more; Agnes, William and Elizabeth were to make the Collins family complete.  Once again they moved house, just along the street to number 52 High Street.  

On the 1911 census John was employed underground at the coal mines. He was 26 years old and still unmarried.  His youngest sister was 1 year old and the Collins family of ten people lived in a large property for the times, a five roomed house. 




John's war....

As John was listed as a reserve soldier he was called into service at the outbreak of war in August 1914.  He was attached to the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters and given the new regimental number of Private 7029.  John was drafted to Sunderland to work as a signal instructor, where he remained for the first two years of the war.  


Signal Station - using daylight lamp
via National Library of Scotland

The war which was supposed to be over by Christmas was dragging on, more civilians were enlisting and John would have a busy time teaching the new recruits army life and the art of the use of signals in warfare. Various methods were used to transmit a signal when on the battlefield; lights, mirrors, flags, whistles could all be used to send a special message in Morse code and where possible cables could be used to pass the signal to the receiver.  John held the knowledge and skill to perform this task and his contribution to the war effort would have been priceless.


John joined the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F) sometime around the early autumn of 1916.  The slaughter of thousands of troops during the Somme offensive had taken its toll on our British troops and reinforcements were badly needed.  Many of the men who had been regular soldiers had already been killed or injured by now and John had some experience in warfare, but alas not the type of warfare WW1 had engineered.

During the month of July 1916 the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters recorded the following numbers of casualties;
Officers - killed 5, wounded 13
Other ranks - killed 51, wounded 257, missing 6

In the August of 1916 the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters were basking in hot temperatures, moving around the Bethune area in northern France.  The battalion spent the next months carrying out orders, maintaining equipment and taking their turn at manning the trenches.  In the October of 1916 an unusual occurrence was noted when having bombarded the enemy with heavy gun fire they were surprised when "a man approached the HQ sentry, when challenged and told to surrender he ran away, he was at once fired on and wounded and brought in".  The man was interrogated in the German language but appeared confused, it was as "he used the word "RUSSRI" that they understood that the man was a Russian prisoner of war.  The war diary states "his delight on falling into English hands knew no bounds".

The month of October 1916 was also one of tremendous difficulties for the battalion; the men were called upon to do a 24 day tour of the trenches, they had no relief at all in those 24 days and were subject to heavy trench mortar attack "which has the most demoralising effect upon the best trained troops".  The battalion was also ordered to carry out three attacks on enemy trenches, one being particulary difficult as gas weapons were used.  There was a short rest period of two days and then the men were sent back to the Somme where they had already seen active duty.  The men were continually under attack but despite of all this "it was remarkable how the morale of the troops was upheld throughout the whole tour of duty".

Rest & Relaxation....

During December 1916 the battalion appear to have taken things much easier.  The month comprised of training classes, football matches, route marching contests and boxing championships.  On Christmas Eve the battalion took part in the Divisional Cross Country championships; each team had 6 men and they ran a course of 6 miles.  The 1st Sherwood's came a respectable 2nd to the 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment.

Christmas was spent at Selincourt "full opportunity was taken to give the men as happy an Xmas as possible".  John was many miles away from his loved ones but we can hope that he felt some peace and happiness at this 1916 yuletide.  Gifts were received from several newspaper company charitable collections, including the "Derbyshire Times Fund".  By New Years Eve the men had moved on once more and found themselves back on the Somme at Albert.  The war diary notes that only 3 other ranks were wounded, none were killed during the month of December 1916.  One of the wounded was however self inflicted, a Christmas away from family had proved to much for one poor soul.

A new year, 1917....

1917 started sedately, cleaning the camp, renovating the duckboards, followed by bomb classes.  The first months were very cold, snow fell and in early February the men were in the trenches when it was so cold "the battalion experienced the hardest frost it had ever known.....The water supply was seriously hampered, fires having to be lit under water taps & ice continuously broken in the tubs".  "In one shell hole the ice was found to be 6 feet thick & the frost had penetrated to a depth of 8 feet into the ground".

The months of March and April saw the battalion carry out some fierce fighting, snow was still falling in the middle of April but by the end of the month the weather was very hot.  

In June 1917 the men found themselves moving away from the familiar territory of the Somme across the French/Belgium border, on 15th June they arrived in Ypres.  That same night the "the whole of battalion provided a working party for laying a cable under divisional signal offices"; a job that would may well have involved John and his knowledge of the signaling equipment. 

The camp at Ypres came under heavy enemy shelling and so on 21st June it was moved to Linde Goed Farm near Busseboom.  The battalion were marched from camp to camp in July, being shelled and attacked by the enemy as they went forth.  In mid July they were in billets at Beaumetz Les Aire, where they began instruction and practice in attack, including lectures on bayonet fighting.  

On 18th July Sir Douglas Haigh was present and watched the operations, the battalion must have been aware that there was an air of impending action about to come their way.  Morale would be boosted and spirits would no doubt be high as the men trained to their best abilities for the fight of their lives.  The Officers and N.C.O's were all shown a large picture  map of the land which was to be their future battlefield, possible concerns were discussed at length between the Officers.

On 21st July the training was over and the men were route marched to St Hillaire and then on to Liller where they entrained to Abeele.  From there the battalion were billeted and slept under canvas at Reninghelst. The coming days were spent in preparation; Officers had more meetings, they even had a group photograph taken. The ordinary ranks were now also sent along to view the large picture map.  A service was held which was officiated by the Arch Bishop of York, the men's spiritual well being was most important for morale. During the evenings men carried the gas shells up onto the waiting positions in anticipation for coming events.  The weather was fine.

On the evening of 24th July John and his comrades marched to Halifax Camp.  The weather changed, it was a very wet day.  The men were given a special treat when the 17th Battalion Sherwood Foresters came to join them for tea on 25th July.  A fellow New Whittington lad named David Cresswell was serving with the 17th Battalion, maybe the men met up for a few words and exchange of family news that night?

During the next couple of days more equipment was issued to the men, the large map was revisited and lectures were given.  On one evening several of the men from each corps were taken and questioned by the C.O.  The men must be fully knowledgeable on the lay of the land and the instructions for the upcoming attack.

At 9.30pm on the night of 28th July 1917 the battalion set of, leaving the camp to a position known as "Halfway House".  Each company set off 200 yards behind the preceeding company.  The men marched into the night and into the unknown.  The journey was a hot one, the weather was fine, enemy fire was constant and gas shells were also used upon the battalion.  Once at the dugout they shared this position with the Scottish Rifle Brigade, however the area was too crowded and the Sherwood Foresters split away from each other by company into different areas. 

The day of the 30th July was spent resting, around 10pm that night the battalion's companies rejoined in the assembly trenches, in their positions just behind the Northamptonshire Regiment.  They then waited "for Zero hour the following morning".  Each man no doubt in his own place for those final hours, thinking of the past and trying so hard not to think of his future and the fate that was to follow.

Zero day....

31st July 1917 the war diary reads; 

"This was Zero Day.  The hour for the attack was 3.50am.  The barrage started at 3.50am and the attack commenced at 4am.  The Battalion moved forward in artillery formation and passed on the right (sic) BELLEWAARDE LAKE to their forming up position, under cover of the ridge".

John was killed in action on 31st July 1917, the day which would signify the first day of the bloody, muddy battle known as Passchendaele.  

The CWGC list that 80 members of the 1st Battalion Sherwood Forester Regiment lost their lives on that same day.


John Collins was buried at the Menin Gate South Military Cemetery, Belgium; grave reference ii. E. 2. His grave is marked simply with the sign of the cross, no other inscriptions were added by John's family.


Private 7029 John Collins was awarded the Victory and British Medals for his service.


John was remembered in the Derbyshire Times 25th August 1917 page 4, along with a photograph the obituary read....

"News reached New Whittington a fortnight ago that Pte. John
Collins, Notts & Derbys, had "gone under".
A soldier writing home to his wife, said Collins was killed,
but his mother who resides in Crown Yard, 
never gave up hopes of hearing from him 
until the official word came last Wednesday, 
saying he had died of wounds.

Pte. John Collins had served eight years in the Army 
and four years in the Reserve when the war broke out
and the call came for Reservists and Volunteers.
He was called up on August 5th, 1914, and was 
drafted to Sunderland as a signal instructor, where
he stayed two years, when he volunteered for France,
having been there almost 12 months when the dreaded
message came.  He was 33 years of age and worked at
Markham No1 Colliery before being called up.
Great sympathy is felt for his widowed mother,
who has two more sons on active service"


Life went on....

Thomas & Margaret Collins - John's parents.  Thomas had died on 28th October 1916.  Margaret stayed in New Whittington the newspaper article stated she now lived on Crown Yard with her children.  She died on 1st June 1941 and is buried alongside her husband at St Bartholomew's Church, New Whittington.

Margaret married Irish born Michael Collins in 1909, they had five children; Thomas, Michael, Edward, John and Mary.  She remained in New Whittington and died in 1972.

Tom married Catherine Leeson in 1915. Catherine was the sister of John Patrick Leeson, the soldier who is also named on St Barnabas Memorial and died on 31st July 1917.  The couple had a son named Patrick in 1916.  Sadly in 1918 Catherine passed away aged just 30 years old.  It looks likely that she died due to complications of child birth as a daughter was born that same time, named Kathleen *this has not been confirmed by the registration certificate.  Tom died in 1952.

Stephen married Agnes Gregory in 1925.  They had at least two daughters; Margaret and Hazel and possibly a third child.  They lived on John Street in Brimington and Stephen worked as a builders labourer. He died in 1959 aged 63 years old.

Annie may have remained a spinster.  In 1939 she was working as a grocery shop assistant (possibly alongside her brother William).  If she did not marry then she may have lived in Hasland and died in 1991 aged 90 years old.

William died in 1941 aged just 33 years old.  His obituary states that he worked as manager of Messrs Hunters grocery shop in Brimington.  

I am not sure at this stage what became of John's siblings; May, Ellen, Agnes and Elizabeth.  If anyone can help with information please let me know.
****

For service on the dates of 31st July and 1st August 1917 the 1st Battalion Sherwood Forester Regiment awarded 14 members of the Non Commissioned Officers and Men the Military Medal for their "Gallantry and devotion to duty during operations near Ypres".  Also awarded were -
2 x Distinguished Service Orders
1 x Bar to the Military Cross
5 x Military Cross
8 x Distinguished Conduct Medals

****

If you may be connected to this family or have any further information on John Collins or his family please do either leave comments via the pen icon below or drop me an email.

I hope that I have not given details of living persons, if so please advise and I will remove immediately.

Please note all information has been taken from online indexes and sources.  Due to the sheer numbers of people to be researched I am unable to purchase vital event certificates to confirm my research.

*****


Ref and further reading  -
Census
Parish registers
Medal rolls
Soldiers who died in the Great war
Register of soldiers effects
Service record - www.fmp.co.uk

Newspaper articles - 
                               - Derbyshire Times 25th August 1917 page 4


War diaries - Piece WO 1721/1-4

Signaling during WW1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/25401271
                                      http://www.worcestershireregiment.com/wr.php?main=inc/signaller_ww1




Monday, 31 July 2017

DAVID CRESSWELL

DAVID CRESSWELL



Private 22099

17th Battalion Sherwood Forester Regiment

Killed in action - 31st July 1917



David Cresswell was born in 1887 at Barrow Hill a small mining village just a few miles away from New Whittington.  He was the son of Elijah and Emma Cresswell, the eighth child born into the family, one of thirteen children.  Elijah and Emma nee Brough married at St John the Baptist Church in Staveley on 10th April 1871.  The family remained in Staveley, living at 14 Railway Terraces.  Elijah worked as a coal miner and the couple had five children; Ferdinand 7, Sarah 5, Ernest 3, Joseph 1 and baby Mary was just 3 weeks old in 1881.

By 1891 the Cresswell family had moved to live on "The Blocks" at Barrow Hill.  The Cresswell household had grown further; Martha, Stephen, DAVIDCharles and Arthur.  Three children were missing on the census return for 1891, Sarah aged 16 years old was employed as a domestic servant in the village of North Bierly in Yorkshire.  

Sadness and heartbreak....

Joseph sadly died aged just 5 years old.  He was buried at Staveley on 20th May 1884.  

Ernest died tragically on 19th December 1889 aged 13 years of age.  He was employed at Ireland Colliery and was crushed between two full trucks as he tried to cross the railway lines (Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths Index).  

The Derbyshire Times (14th December 1889 page 5) covered his admittance into Chesterfield Royal Hospital with a few lines on the events which led to this terrible accident;

"Ernest Cresswell 13, pony driver, with double fracture of the skull, and severe scalp wounds was returning home from the Ireland Colliery, Staveley and was knocked down by the buffers of a passing engine.  He lies in a very critical condition".

David would never have known his sibling Joseph, he would only be around two years old when Ernest died so unlikely to remember his older brothers who were taken at such young ages.

Family life continues....

Times were hard in the late 19th Century, grieve they would but not at the expense of work time.  Elijah would need to get up each morning and set off to work, if not his family may go without food.  Emma would also continue to care for her growing family, with seven children still living.  A year later in 1890 a new life would hopefully have brought happiness to the Cresswell household when baby Arthur was born in the summer of 1890.

Another daughter was born in 1892, named Cora (sometimes spelt Kora/Korah) she was baptised on 7th April that year but sadly died in the autumn/winter months of that same year.

Emma would have found herself pregnant around the same time as baby Cora passed away as on 13th July 1893 another little girl was born into the Cresswell family, named Hidagarde.

Further heartache for the family when in 1900 poor 9 year old Arthur also died.  

Bon Voyage....

David's eldest brother set sail on an adventure of a lifetime, when on 11th May 1897 Ferdinand boarded the ship Aurania in Liverpool for the bright lights of New York.  Ferdinand was 23 years of age at the time of departure and worked as a coal miner.

He married Maud Smith on 14th March 1899 at Potage, Ohio.  Maud was also a British born girl, she was the daughter of William and Sarah Smith.  Born in Leeds on 7th January 1880 she had emigrated around 1882.  

David would have been around 10 years old when Ferdinand left the family home, the little boy in New Whittington no doubt heard stories of a bright new world from his excited big brother in the lead up to his goodbye's.

1901....

David and his family had moved once more, just a small move this time to number 227 The Blocks, still in Barrow Hill.  David was 14 years of age and had finished his education, he was employed as a pony driver at the coal mine along with his elder brother Stephen.  Their father Elijah was still working down the mines as a coal mine labourer.  The girls Mary and Martha have no occupation listed and the young ones Charles and Hilda would be still attending school.

Sarah was settled living in Leeds now, she had married Alfred Moore at St Michael's church, Headingley on 22nd January 1898 and had a 4 month old daughter named Ida.  Alfred worked as a cloth dresser in the mills.




Romance....

David married his sweetheart Florence Gertrude Hutchinson around late 1907/early 1908.  They married at the United Methodist Free Chapel on Marsden Street in the centre of Chesterfield.  "Florrie" as she was affectionately known was born in New Whittington, the daughter of Elizabeth and Samuel Hutchinson.

Their first daughter Ivy was born on 26th August 1909.  

1911 the eve of WW1....

David and his young family were living at 82 Handley Road, New Whittington.  David worked as a coal miner fitter and Florence would look after one year old baby Ivy and run the household.   On 12th July 1913 a second daughter was born, named Doris, a little sister to four year old Ivy.

David's parents remained in Barrow Hill, but his father Elijah had left the coal mines.  Aged 60 years old he was now working as a newsagent.  Radio was not commonly found in household's until the early 1920's when the BBC began to broadcast, no televisions existed, Elijah would have been the centre of village life, all news would be heard and discussed from his newsagency. 

Younger siblings Charlie and Hilda still lived with their parents, Charlie worked down the mines as a loader.  

Sarah and Alfred had two more children now; Cora aged 6 and (Norman) Elijah aged 1 year.  They lived at 14 Harold Street, Burley, Leeds.  Eldest daughter Ida was staying with her grandparents Emma and Elijah at Barrow Hill.

Mary married John Mitchell at Staveley on 24th January 1903.  John was a labourer at the blast furnaces and they lived at 215 Brick Yard Terrace at Barrow Hill with their two children; Kenneth and Trixie.

Stephen lived at 185 Barrow Hill, near to his parents.  He had married Phoebe Brough at Holy Trinity Church, Chesterfield on 6th May 1905.  Phoebe and Stephen had two children; Wilfred aged 6 and Edna aged 2.  The census return also records an 12 year old school girl named Ann Braybook living with them, she is recorded as a servant.  Stephen was a working class man, he worked as a coal miner.





David's war....

Unfortunately David's service records have not survived but we can piece together some of his story using other resources which are available; medal cards, medal roll, newspaper articles and the relevant war diaries.

David joined the Sherwood Forester Regiment in the January of 1915, at this time enlistment was done on an entirely voluntary basis, so long as the recruit was over 5ft 6 inches and had a chest size of 35 inches.  Letters were a frequent occurrence in the local newspapers, encouraging men to take up the challenge and fight for King & Country.  Maybe this was all the encouragement David needed to do "his bit" for his country.

The medal card for David tells us that he entered the "theatre of war" on the 18th August 1915.  The eight months prior to this would have been spent learning how to be a good soldier, how to charge and use a bayonet, look after his rifle, look after his uniform and his kit..... the list was endless.  The tutorials, no matter how in depth would not prepare David for what he would encounter when he joined the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F) in France.

The medal roll lists David as having been attached to three battalions of the Sherwood Forester Regiment; 2nd, 1st and 17th (Welbeck Rangers).

It is most likely that when he enlisted he was placed with the 2nd battalion and would join the B.E.F. with this battalion also.  His obituary states that he "was wounded on two occasions" indicating it was likely that he was placed with a different battalion each time he returned to France.

The battalions....

The 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters had landed in France during the September of 1914.  Arthur Mitchell the first soldier to die who was named on St Barnabas Church WW1 War Memorial was with that battalion.  In October 1915 the battalion became part of the 71st Brigade in the 6th Division.

The war diary for November 1915 tells "After last nights rain the trenches are worse than any we have yet experienced in our 14 months of trench warfare.  They are falling in every few yards and are full of water."  

Included in the war diary of November 1915 is an interesting hand written list entitled "2nd Bn The Sherwood Foresters, programme of work"  this lists the daily activities the men would carry out when not in the trenches....


"7.30 - 8am      Physical training, running drill, rapid marching
9.30 - 10.15      Squad drill, under Section Commander
10.15 - 11am    Platoon and Coy drill
11 - 11.30         Musketry, under Sec Cmdr's, fire control, rapid loading &  firing
11.30 - 12.30    Route march
2 - 2.30             Physical training
2.30 - 3.30        Squad drill & musketry"

The 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters had been stationed in India prior to the onset of WW1.  They were thrust straight into the war in Europe. With it came a totally different set of strategies and obstacles from those that they were accustomed to.  They played a key part in the fighting at both Neuve Chappell and Loos.  After a heavy winter in 1915, a winter of trench warfare the battalion had suffered great losses.  

The 17th Battalion Sherwood Foresters were also known as the Welbeck Rangers.  This battalion saw themselves in the thick of many of the most well known battles of the war; Thiepval Ridge, Ancre Heights, Menin Road Ridge, Polygon Wood and the infamous Passchendaele.

David's is recorded as serving with the 17th battalion on his Commonwealth War Grave Commission certificate, this usually indicates the last battalion the soldier served with when he was reported as deceased.  How long David would have served with the 17th is not known at this time.

The month of July was a tough one for the 17th battalion Sherwood Foresters, throughout the month there were several occasions when the men were prepared for an advance, only to have the attack cancelled in the nearing hours.  

At dawn on 20th July 1917 the battalion took part on a Brigade attack on the village of Tiques.  The attack was over by 8am and the men were moved on by bus to the camp for rest.  The war diary for the coming days reads the same each day "Routine, Company training under Coy Officer".

On 29th July the men were "resting and drawing stores etc for the forthcoming operations.  At 8.30pm the battalion move to CANAL BANK (Hill Top Sector)".  David and his comrades were preparing for battle, again.  On 30th the dairy continues "Y day resting prior to Z day.  At 10.30pm the battalion move up to place of assembly in the Hill Top Sector".

31st July 1917....

"Assembly complete at 1.15am, Z day.  No casualties occurred whilst the battalion was assembling.  This is the 3rd Battle of YPRES.  Zero hour at 3.50am".  The men moved on at 3.50am into "no mans land", and had crossed the area before the enemy barrage started.  They soon reached their first target with "slight casualties".  

The advance continued under the protection of rifle guns and Lewis guns, the enemy retaliating with machine guns and snipers.  When they arrived at the eastern side of "Kitchener's Wood" "two enemy machine guns open fired on us from Alberta, these were engaged with our Lewis guns, rifle Grenadiers, and Stokes guns and with the assistance of two tanks which open fire at close range".  As a result of the return fire, the enemy moved back into concrete dug outs, the 17th were then able to capture the farm and the surrounding area.  There were 120 prisoners taken at this stage including four machine guns and one anti-tank gun.  All of this took place before 5.35am.

Over the next five hours more prisoners were taken and positions were won.  At 7.55am heavy machine gun and rifle fire bombarded the battalion which caused several casualties.  The war diary report on the battle concludes with "We succeeded in stopping the enemy's advance by Lewis gun and rifle fire and inflicting heavy losses on him, some of the enemy only being stopped when about 12 yards from our position".

The men were complemented on their work "the behaviour of the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and men under the awful climatic conditions was exemplary throughout".

The war diary gave the following numbers for the date 31st July 1917....


"Killed in action - 42 Other ranks
  Died of wounds - 3
  Wounded - 208
  Missing - 12
  Gassed - 8
  Shell shock - 1
  Wounded at duty - 3
  Hospital - 39"

Private David Cresswell, 22099 was reported missing on the 31st July 1917.



Private 22099 David Cresswell is remembered at The Menin Gate Memorial in the Belgian city of Ypres.  His name can be found inscribed on the panel 39 or 41.



David was awarded the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 15 Star for his service.

His death was reported in the Derbyshire Times 17th November 1917, page 8, his obituary included a photograph and read....


"After being reported missing on July 31st
news has just reached New Whittington that Pte.D Cresswell
whose wife resides in Handley Road, was killed on that date.

Upon being reported missing Mrs Cresswell got into 
communication with the British Red Cross Society,
with the result that they found one of his comrades who has 
forwarded particulars of his death.  In writing he says:-

"I am sorry to inform you that your husband was killed on July 31st.
I was not near him at the time, but word came down the trench
that he and Toplis, of the same section, 
had been blown to pieces.  It was a great shock to us all,
and his place will be hard to fill.  He was a good soldier
and always did his duty cheerfully.  I am sorry I can't
give you more information, but nearly all the old boys
have been killed or wounded.  We all sympathise with you 
in your loss"

Pte Cresswell was 30 years of age, and joined the Sherwood's
in January 1915.  He had been wounded on two occasions
and he returned to France for the third time.  
Before joining the Forces he worked at Markham No1
Colliery.  In addition to his widow there are two little children
left behind"

Life went on....

Florence Cresswell, David's wife found herself alone with two young daughters to care for; Ivy aged 7 and Doris who had just had her 4th birthday.  

Florrie did start a new life when she remarried on 26th October 1918 at Old Whittington Parish Church.  Her husband was 36 year old bachelor William Warwick.  William was from Staveley and worked as a fireman, most likely in the iron foundry.  Florrie and William may have two children; a son Leslie born in 1922 who died aged 1 year old and a daughter Iris in 1925 (not verified).

William died in 1938 aged just 56 years old.  Florrie would find herself widowed once more.  The 1939 Register records her living at 84 Handley Road, now named Florence Wilson..... I believe she married a William Wilson that same year.  But, she is again stated as widowed, whether this was an error or had William Wilson also died?  

A death was registered for a Florence Wilson in Chesterfield in 1960, if this was Florence then she died aged 71 years of age.

Ivy Cresswell the eldest daughter of David and Florrie married George Williamson at St Barnabas Church on 6th August 1928.  The couple may have two sons Geoffrey and Dennis (this would need confirmation).   In 1939 Ivy and her family were living in Calow, on Chesterfield Road. George worked as an iron moulder.  

It appears that Ivy remarried in 1950, her husband was named Clifford Thickett and they wed on the Isle of White.  If this is correct then Ivy died in Macclesfield in 1990, aged 81 years of age.

Doris Cresswell the youngest daughter of David and Florrie married Harold Handforth in 1934.  In 1939 they were living at 5 Brearley Street, New Whittington and had one son named Eric.  Harold's mother had died in the May of 1936 and so his father also named Harold was living with them.  Both Mr and Mrs Handforth senior were enthusiastic members of St Barnabas Church, Harold senior being a sidesman (usher) for the Church.

Doris lost her husband in 1963  but she lived on until she died in 1997 aged 83 years old.


Derbyshire Times 22nd December 1939 p10

Davids parents; Elijah and Emma continued to live in Barrow Hill.  Elijah died the year after David's death on 19th June 1918.  He was 68 years of age.

Emma was remembered in the Derbyshire Times newspaper after she had passed away on 26th December 1937.  She was a patient in Chesterfield Royal Hospital where she died aged 85 years old.  The newspaper article referred to her as "Believed to be the oldest native of the village".  She was buried at Staveley Cemetery following a service at St Andrew's Church, Barrow Hill.

Ferdinand Cresswell lived out his life in the USA.  He became a naturalised United States citizen on 18th September 1909.  Maud and Ferdinand had four children Sarah, Arthur, Hilda and Mamie.  The family lived in Saline, Illinois and Ferdinand continued to work as a coal miner.

Ferdinand died on 14th April 1932 aged 58 years, his wife Maud died on 10th July 1941.

Sarah was widowed in 1916 when her husband Alfred died aged just 41 years old.  What became of her after this date is unknown at this time.  Her children all married and lived in the county of Yorkshire.

Mary and her husband John were living at 12 Lilac Street, Staveley in 1939.  John was still working as a labourer at the iron foundry.  The children had both married but still lived close; Kenneth in Barrow Hill and Trixie in Stonegravels.  John may have died in 1953 but I have not been able to pinpoint a death for Mary.

Martha has been difficult to locate after the 1901 census when she lived with her parents aged 17 years of age.  

Stephen died in 1926 aged 42 years.  His wife Phoebe remained in the family home of 185 Barrow Hill, she married John Limb in 1930.  Their daughter Edna married Leslie Bates and son Wilfred married Vera Withnall and moved to live in Repton.

Charles married later in life aged 39.  His wife was "Lily" Webb and they married in 1928.  A son named Colin was born a few years later and the family lived at 227 Barrow Hill in 1939.  Charles was employed as a rope splicer in the coal mines.  Charles died in 1971 aged 82, his wife Lily died in 1989.

Hildagarde married William Bird in 1913, they lived at 17 Devonshire Cottages, Barrow Hill in 1939 with their two children; Ferdinand and Dorothy.  William worked in engineering as a machinist.  Hildagarde died in 1970 aged 77 and her husband William died in 1967.


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If you may be connected to this family or have any further information on David Cresswell or his family please do either leave comments via the pen icon below or drop me an email.

I hope that I have not given details of living persons, if so please advise and I will remove immediately.

Please note all information has been taken from online indexes and sources.  Due to the sheer numbers of people to be researched I am unable to purchase vital event certificates to confirm my research.

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Ref and further reading  -
Census
Parish registers
Medal rolls
Soldiers who died in the Great war
Register of soldiers effects
Immigration records - www.fmp.co.uk & www.ancestry.co.uk

Newspaper articles - 
                               - Derbyshire Times 14th December 1889 page 5
                               - Derbyshire Times 17th November 1917 page 8
                               - Derbyshire Times 31st December 1937 page 10
                               - Derbyshire Times 22nd December 1939 page 10