Service Details

The 5^th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment, had just started its annual training in camp when war broke out in August 1914. It was sent to Edinburgh until October, then moved to Tunbridge Wells until February 1915. It was then ordered to France, sailing on the 13^th aboard s.s. King Edward, arriving at Le Havre the same day.

Over the next few days the battalion marched to billets at Le Bizet, and then undertook instruction in trench warfare. The system was for companies from a battalion to be attached to other battalions for spells in the line, before the sector was allocated to the battalion on its own. In addition to the trench duty, the battalion undertook its share of pioneer work and training in rapid fire.

The Battalion was moved around regularly without seeing action, until 28^th April when it was moved to Vlamertinghe, Belgium in readiness to take part in the 1^st Battle of Ypres, which had started on the 22^nd.

On 2^nd May, the Germans launched a violent attack, accompanied by a cloud of chlorine gas, and the battalion was moved into the line for the first time. On 3^rd May, it was moved to the new line in front of Wieltje, and then on the 4^th it was again moved to Shell Trap Farm. At dawn, they engaged the Germans but by 4pm the enemy was within 400 yards of the British lines, from where they began a heavy bombardment of the British lines.

More shell fire continued through the next day, culminating in heavy concentrated fire about 5 p.m. which resulted in a considerable number of men being buried, many of them killed and wounded. The enemy fire continued until midnight and four attempts were made by the Germans to take the farm, but all were repulsed.

Private Ackers would have been killed in the fighting at Wieltje. His body was never identified and he is remembered on the Menin Gate memorial. 

Lance Corporal 8806 Joseph AGNEW

Unit/Regiment	1st Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	27/10/1918		Age at Death		29
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Tehran Memorial Panel 3 Column 1
Census Details	1901 Census - Living at 53 Albert Street, St Helens, were William (43) and Mary (35), along with their children Joseph (12), Mary (9), James (6), Elizabeth (5) and Catherine (1)
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth Registered Q2/1889, Prescot, 8b, 697
SDGW – Where Born	St. Helens, Lancs	Enlisted		Warrington, Lancs	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Died			Theatre of War	India
Notes	Recorded as Serjeant by Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Research Ref. No.	P002

Service Details

The outbreak of war in 1914 found the 1^st Battalion stationed in Quetta, Baluchistan, eighty miles from the borders of Afghanistan. Throughout the war, the battalion was retained in India to assist in keeping watch over the North-West frontier. 

The battalion was kept in a constant state of readiness throughout the war years, moving to various locations in the Theatre to counter threats, real or perceived, but by the end of the war in November 1918, they were back in Quetta,

Lance Corporal Agnew is recorded to have “Died”, which usually indicates a soldier who has died of illness or accident. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Tehran Memorial.

Lance Corporal 240726 James Frederick AIREY

Unit/Regiment	2nd/5th Bn., attached 172nd Infantry Brigade, South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	09/04/1918		Age at Death		22
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Ploegsteert Memorial Panel 6 & 7
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Airey, of 2, School Hill, Windhill, Shipley, Yorks.
Census Details	1901 Census - John and Marrion Airey (31 and 29), lived at 3 Gaskell's Passage, Prescot. Also there are James (5), Celia (2), John (8), and Sidney (new born). 1911 Census - John (44) and Marion Jane Airey (38), lived at 6, Chester Street, Prescot along with children James Frederick (15), Celia Jane (13), Arthur Sidney (11), Thomas Edward (8), Ethel (6), Harold (4) and Norman (14 months)
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth Registered Q2/1896, Prescot, 8b, 711
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Prescot	Resided
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P003

Service Details

The 2^nd/5^th battalion of the South Lancashire regiment was officially constituted at Liverpool on September 23^rd, 1914, principally as a “second line” unit for the 1^st/5^th battalion. It proceeded to Blackpool on 11^th November to commence its training, although it was severely handicapped in the early days by a lack of uniforms and equipment.

Early in 1915, the battalion was moved to Tunbridge Well sin Kent, forming part of the Central Force for Home Defence, although training was still hampered by the lack of equipment. The battalion consisted of 37 officers and 1,203 other ranks, although a significant proportion of these were for Home Service only. In addition, a high turnover of personnel came about due to the large number of discharges on medical grounds.

In May of 1915, the first draft to replace casualties at the front was called for and 10 officers left immediately for France. A steady drain of men continued until November, when the 3^rd/5^th battalion was formed to act as a Dept for men who had been evacuated due to wounds or sickness, also supplying drafts to the first line battalion. The second line battalion was now able to form itself into a shape fir for the purpose of fighting.

As 1916 progressed, the battalion remained on Home Service, mainly constructing field fortifications for the protection of London, south of the Thames. In June, however, the battalion was moved to Ashdown in Kent to complete training in preparation for moving overseas. Orders were not received until Christmas 1916, however. Eventually, the battalion entrained at Farnborough on 16^th February 1917 for Folkstone. Their departure for France was delayed by fog until the 20^th, when they sailed on the s.s. “Princess Henriette” with a full complement of officers and men.

Their early days in France were mobile, moving from Boulogne to Bailleul, then Oultersteene and finally to Armentieres. Here on 4^th March, they moved into the front line trenches for the first time, relieving the men of the 2^nd/4^th battalion. At this time, Armentieres was a “quiet” sector and so the battalion passed the month of March suffering few casualties.

The battalion moved constantly around the front line areas throughout the remaining months of the year, ultimately moving into front line trenches in the Houthulst Forest sector on Christmas Day under constant German harassing fire. On 27th of December,  “B” and “C” companies were relived in preparation for a raid on Turenne Crossing, north of Poelcapelle. They went back to Baboon Camp for training for the assault, planned for the night of 30^th/31^st December. The operation had been carefully rehearsed and was scheduled to start at 8 p.m., supported by artillery, machine guns and mortars. Snow was lying thickly and the raiders were instructed to wear white shirts over their uniform.

The companies advanced at zero hour under a creeping barrage. The artillery was effective and little resistance was encountered, with all the objectives being taken and the line being advanced by 200 yards. However casualties were suffered with 2 officers and 17 other ranks killed and 13 wounded.

On New Year’s Day 1918, the battalion was back in the familiar town of Armentieres where it remained until mid-January. They were then sent into the extremely uncomfortable trenches of Houplines, but the Germans were also as uncomfortable and so a relatively quiet period ensued.

The story of the battalion is almost complete. In late January, they were informed that they were being disbanded due to Army reorganisation and this took place at the beginning of February. There are no surviving records to show where L/Cpl Airey was redesignated. All that is known is that he was killed in action on 9^th April, probably as part of the German Spring offensive. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

L/Cpl Airey’s inscription on the Ploegsteert Memorial

James Airey's Medal Index Card
 

Private 1416 Henry ALLEN

Unit/Regiment	1st/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	10/05/1915		Age at Death		22
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Menin Gate Panel 37
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of John Allen, of 119, Kemble St., Prescot, Lancs.
Census Details	1901 Census - Henry Allen, aged 7, son of John (28) and Kate (23), lived at 2, Taylors Court, Prescot.  1911 Census - John Allen (40) and his 32 year old wife Catherine, lived at 119, Kemble Street, Prescot with their children Henry (17), Mary (7), Elizabeth (5), Annie (2) and Margaret (4 months). Also present was 55 year old Boarder, Patrick Dowd
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Prescot	Resided
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P004

Service details

Henry Allen joined the Territorials before the war, attesting to the South Lancashire Regiment for 4 years at Prescot on January 31^st 1911. At the time he was aged 17, single and was working as a Labourer whilst living at 119, Kemble Street, Prescot.

He stood 5 foot 4 and a half inches in height, had a 34 inch chest with two inches of expansion and was classed as being in “Good” physical condition and therefore fit for military service and assigned to the 5^th Battalion of the Regiment. He weighed 151 pounds. As part of his Territorial Service, he was required to attend annual camp and his records show that he did so in 1911, 1912 and 1913.

The 5^th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment, had just started its annual training in camp when war broke out in August 1914. It was sent to Edinburgh until October, then moved to Tunbridge Wells until February 1915. It was then ordered to France, sailing on the 13^th aboard s.s. King Edward. Arriving at Le Havre the same day. These details are shown in Henry Allen’s service record; at St Helens from 5^th to 13^th August 1914, Edinburgh Castle until 10^th October 1914 then Tunbridge Wells until embarkation for the British Expeditionary Force in France on 12^th February 1915.

Over the next few days the battalion marched to billets at Le Bizet, and then undertook instruction in trench warfare. The system was for companies from a battalion to be attached to other battalions for spells in the line, before the sector was allocated to the battalion on its own. In addition to the trench duty, the battalion undertook its share of pioneer work and training in rapid fire.

The Battalion was moved around regularly without seeing action, until 28^th April when it was moved to Vlamertinghe, Belgium in readiness to take part in the 1^st Battle of Ypres, which had started on the 22^nd.

On 2^nd May, the Germans launched a violent attack, accompanied by a cloud of chlorine gas, and the battalion was moved into the line for the first time. On 3^rd May, it was moved to the new line in front of Wieltje, and then on the 4^th it was again moved to Shell Trap Farm. At dawn, they engaged the Germans but by 4pm the enemy was within 400 yards of the British lines, from where they began a heavy bombardment of the British.

More shell fire continued through the next day, culminating in heavy concentrated fire about 5 p.m. which resulted in a considerable number of men being buried, many of them killed and wounded. The enemy fire continued until midnight and four attempts were made by the Germans to take the farm, but all were repulsed.

At 2 a.m. on the 6^th, the Battalion was relieved and moved to La Brique, having incurred considerable casualties.

On the 8^th May, the battalion was once more sent up to the Wieltje sector as it was thought that the enemy had broken through, but it proved to be a false alarm and on the 9^th it returned to La Brique, leaving “C” Company and a machine-gun detachment at Wieltje. Early on the 10^th, the battalion moved to the bank of the Yser canal where it remained until the 13^th, when it was moved back to the support lines.

Henry Allen’s Casualty Form records that he was wounded in action whilst serving in the field on 10^th May 1915, presumably in action around the canal, with a further notation that he is “Missing”. This suggests that one of his colleagues saw him wounded at some point in the action but that when Roll Call was taken later, he did not respond.

The Casualty Form was further updated on 16^th May 1916, by which time he had been classed as missing for a year and a day, and he was now recorded as having died “on or since 10/5/15” for official purposes. His next of kin are shown as his father John and mother Catherine Allen of 119, Kemble Street.

An extract from the Casualty Form, showing the declaration of death.

Samuel Ashton’s Medal Index Card shows that he first entered the French Theatre of War on 20^th May 1915, which entitled him to the 1914-1915 Star in addition to the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

Private Ashton’s inscription on the Basra Memorial (above) with a close up (below)



 The Basra memorial is currently in a poor state of repair, although the CWGC are in discussions with the Iraqi government about a programme of restoration work.

Until 1997 the Basra Memorial was located on the main quay of the naval dockyard at Maqil, on the west bank of the Shatt-al-Arab, about 8 kilometres north of Basra. Because of the sensitivity of the site, the Memorial was moved by presidential decree. The move, carried out by the authorities in Iraq, involved a considerable amount of manpower, transport costs and sheer engineering on their part, and the Memorial has been re-erected in its entirety. The Basra Memorial is now located 32 kilometres along the road to Nasiriyah, in the middle of what was a major battleground during the first Gulf War.