Private 1954 Thomas Henry BISHOP



From a picture provided to Prescot Museum by the Bishop family

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.

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. It is assumed that Acting Sergeant Lloyd and Privates Baines and Bishop were involved in this action as they are all reported as Killed in Action on this date. None of them have a known grave and all are remembered on the Menin Gate.

Thomas Bishop’s inscription on the Menin Gate

Service Details

The 2^nd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment landed in France on 14^th August 1914, just over a week after the outbreak of war.  They disembarked at Le Havre with a strength of 27 officers and 980 other ranks, and then travelled by train to Mauberge.

They marched over the next few days through areas of northern France where the civilian population turned out in droves to meet and salute them, ultimately arriving at St Hilaire on the 20^th.  On the 21^st, they again marched off, this time towards the Belgian border, finally arriving at Framieres in the late afternoon of the 22^nd. They were then informed that the Germans had occupied Brussels and that the next day they would be moving forward to engage the enemy.

On the morning of the 23^rd they marched off and by mid-afternoon they could see shells bursting over Mons some two miles away. Battle was imminent. By 5.30, they were entrenched and ready for action.

Early next morning, the 24^th, shortly before 4 a.m., the German infantry in masses and firing from the hip, came straight for the positions occupied by the Battalion, and were met by the defenders with rifle and machine-gun fire.

The battle raged for several hours and over 1,000 German troops were estimated to have been killed. But after several hours of intense fighting against overwhelming odds, the Battalion was forced to retire from their positions covering the Mons-Conde canal to avoid being outflanked. The retreat from Mons had commenced. By the time the Battalion reached Coyelles on the 29^th and was able to regroup, the muster amounted to 14 officers and about 400 men, about half of its original strength.

The Battalion engaged in several more conflicts throughout the remainder of 1914, receiving well-needed replacements in December, by which time it was based in trenches east of Kemmel, and billeting in Balleul when out of the line.

1915 saw a continuation of the trench warfare which defined the latter stages of 1914, ending up in August based in the Sanctuary Wood area, ready for the attack on the Bellewaarde Ridge, scheduled for 25^th September.

The attack, targeting the German trenches in the vicinity of Hooge and Bellewaarde was a diversionary tactic, designed to contain the enemy reserves whist the attack on Loos took place further south.

The men marched to their positions on the 24^th through a torrential downpour, resulting in them spending the night in wet clothes awaiting zero hour.

At 4.20 a.m. “A” and “B” companies moved over the parapet and headed for the ruins of Hooge Chateau.  The Germans launched a withering machine-gun attack on the troops, and “A” company retired when they found that the wire on their front had not been cut. “B” company managed to reach the German trenches and several men entered and engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with the Germans, but all were killed as support could not reach them, “B” company losing 114 out of 170 of all ranks.

The attack failed to make any impact and came to an end. In a few short hours, the battalion lost 2 officers and 26 Other Ranks killed with 6 officers and 222 OR wounded or missing.

Pte. Boadey was one who fell in the fighting. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate memorial to the missing.

John Boadey’s Medal Index Card. For some reason, a duplicate card was also created, although both cards refer the reader to the other

 Company Serjeant Major Herbert Louis BOYER

Service Details

Herbert Louis Boyer had originally served with the 2^nd Volunteer Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment, enlisting on 2^nd February 1899. He signed for four years and his record shows that he re-engaged in 1908, 1909 and 1913.

He attested into the Territorial Service as Private 115 in the 5^th Battalion Prince of Wales Volunteers (the South Lancashire Regiment) in Prescot on 9^th April 1908. At the time, he lived at 3, Ward Street, Prescot, was aged 30 years and 6 months, and worked as a Joiner for “Gilbert Halsall” of Prescot. He stood 5foot 6 inches in height, weighed 144 pounds and had a 35 inch chest measurement, expandable by 2 inches.

With the newly formed Territorial Force, he was required to attend annual camp for training, and his record shows that he attended at Peel, Isle of Man, from 26^th July to 9^th August 1908, at North Wales from 1^st to 15^th August 1909 and Lancashire 31^st July – 14^th August 1910. He was promoted to Corporal on 31^st July 1910. His record also marks him as present at camp in 1911, 1912 and 1913, and he is also shown as promoted to Sergeant on 17^th December 1911.

At the outbreak of war in on 4^th August 1914, he was ranked as Sergeant and posted to the 5^th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. Then on 30^th October 1914 he was appointed Acting Colour Sergeant, then on 29^th January 1915 he was promoted to Company Sergeant Major. 

The 5^th Battalion 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.

On 8^th May 1915 CSM Boyer received a Gun Shot Wound to the buttock and was quickly moved through the chain of treatment centres; 10 Field Ambulance on the day of injury, 2 Casualty Clearing Station, 7 Ambulance Train and No 9 General Hospital the next day, then shipped to England for hospital treatment on the 10^th.

 Private 228860 Joseph BRAY

 Original picture courtesy of the Bray family

Repaired and restored by Chris Foster

Service Details

On 24^th May 1915 Joseph Bray he attested into the 11^th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment in Prescot. He gave his address as 26, Cross Street, Prescot and noted that he was aged 19 years and 1 month.  His occupation was recorded as “Bricklayer”, he was unmarried, stood just over 5 foot 1 inches in height and had a 32 inch chest measurement. His medical report further stated that he weighed 102 pounds, his physical development was “good” and he was rated 6 out of 6 for vision in both eyes.

His next of kin was recorded as his father, Joseph Bray, at the same address.

He trained with the 11^th Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment, and on 4^th March 1916 he sailed from Folkstone for France with them, arriving at Etaples the following day.  His record states that he stayed in Etaples until 20^th July 1916, at which point he moved to Rouen, then joining the battalion in the field on 2^nd September 1916.

Eventually, on 29^th November 1916, it was found that he was actually under age, his date of birth being 4^th August 1898, and on 11^th December 1916 he was sent back to England.

extract from Joseph Bray’s service record, showing when he was identified as being under age

Joseph Bray’s Medal Index Card is a poor quality scan.  It shows his service with the South Lancashire Regiment and the Monmouthshire Regiment, and lists his entitlement to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

 Private 18777 John BRENNAN

Service details

The 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was called up for service on 6th August 1914 and was quickly dispatched to its war station at Felixstowe, arriving there on the morning of the 9th.

The companies of the battalion were distributed to different posts around the port, all fortified and forming part of the Harwich fortress defences. Here they remained throughout the war although many men were drafted into other units and sent overseas.

Private Brennan is recorded as “Died” and rests in Felixstowe New Cemetery. It seems likely that he died either by accident or from illness.

John Brennan's grave at Felixstowe

  Lance Serjeant 11350 James BRIDGE

Service Details

The 6^th (Service) Battalion was formed soon after the outbreak of war from the first thousand men who answered Kitchener’s call to arms “Your Country Needs You”. These units were afterwards known as “K1” units.

The battalion commenced training at Tidworth in Wiltshire in the barracks recently vacated by the 2^nd Battalion, which had joined the British Expeditionary Force in France.  Final “polishing” took place at Blackdown, near Aldershot.

In April 1915, an Expeditionary Force landed on the shores of Gallipoli as part of the Dardanelles campaign, with the ultimate aim of capturing Constantinople. The landings were not the success that was first hoped for, and reinforcements were brought in. This took place on 7^th July and included the 6^th Battalion, South Lancs., landing at Helles.

The next few weeks were spent learning trench warfare, and included several spells in the front line before being withdrawn to Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos on 31^st July for a rest period.

On 4^th August, the battalion returned to Gallipoli, this time landing at Anzac Cove. On the 8^th, it was ordered to follow the 9^th Royal Warwickshire Regiment in an assault on the slopes of Chunuk Bair. This took place, although the assault came under withering Turkish fire. The attackers eventually dug in late in the evening about 100ft below the summit.

The total strength of the battalion on 1^st August was 700. By the end of that month, they had lost 15 officers and approximately 500 other ranks killed, wounded and missing.

On 21^st September, the battalion moved into reserve trenches at Suvla, where they remained until the evacuation of Gallipoli in December 1915.

It is not clear from surviving records at which point James Bridge was injured or fell ill. Whatever happened, he was moved to hospital on Malta where he died on 22^nd December. He rests in Pieta Military Cemetery.

Able Seaman R/4371 Joseph BRIDGE

 Lance Serjeant 484 Thomas H BRISCOE

Service Details

Thomas Briscoe’s service record survives at the National Archives.

This shows that he was a pre-War Territorial, enlisting at Prescot on 7^th April 1908. At the time of enlistment, he shows his age as 18 years, his occupation as “Labourer” and his employer as “British Insulated Helsby Cables”. His address is shown as 10 Duke Street, Prescot and his next of kin is his father, also Thomas, of the same address.

Upon enlistment, he was appointed to “F” Company, 5^th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment with a Service Number of 484.

His record shows a series of annual training courses from 1908 through to 1914. On 5^th August 1914, he was appointed Rifleman, a rank he held until he was promoted “Acting Corporal” on 21^st November. His base was recorded as “Prescot” from 7^th April 1908 to 4^th August 1914, the date on which war was declared. At that time, his base is show on as “home” until 11^th February 1915, when he embarked from Southampton for France, arriving at Le Havre on 13^th February.

The next form in his file is a Casualty Form, which shows the he had been promoted to unpaid Lance Serjeant in the field on 18^th September 1915 and was then transferred to Base at Rouen on 23^rd March 1916. Finally, on 1^st April 1916, he returned to England and was discharged in 4^th April 1916.