Unit/Regiment	422nd Field Coy., RE, Corps of Royal Engineers
Date of Death	30/11/1917		Age at Death		28
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Cambrai Memorial Panel 1 and 2
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of James and Mary Gallagher, of 2, Crossfield St., St. Helens.
Census Details	1901 Census - The Gallagher family lived at 62, Albert Street, St Helens, the home of Vincent's grandmother Mary Evans. Vincent's mother is Mary (37) and also present are Joseph (15), Aloysius (14) and Vincent (12).
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		St Helens, Lancs	Resided
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Notes	Although Vincent Gallagher is recorded as being born in Prescot, no links with the town could be determined. He almost certainly lived all his life in St Helens but his details have been retained as the research had already been undertaken when it was determined that he was a St Helens man.
Research Ref. No.	P118

Service Details

Vincent Gallagher attested for military service in St Helens on 5^th October 1914. he was 25 years and 9 months old, worked as a Brick Layer and lived with his parents in Albert Street, St. Helens. He recorded that he had been born in Prescot and his parents, as next of kin, were recorded as James and Mary Gallagher of the same address.

His medical exam noted that he stood 5 foot 9 inches tall, weighed 120 pounds and had a 34 inch chest measurement, expandable by 3 inches. He had a pale complexion with brown eyes and dark hair. As a result of his examination, he was passed as fit for military service.

He was posted as a Sapper with the Royal Engineers, his original number being 7144 (he was later renumbered to 426314).

After initial training Sapper Gallagher embarked for France on 31^st December 1914, arriving there the following day. His records show that he remained in France until 11^th July 1915, when he returned to the UK. He had been wounded on 27^th June, receiving a Gun Shot Wound to the scalp whilst serving in the field, and was returned to the UK for treatment at Edinburgh War Hospital, being admitted on 13^th July.

A medical report stated that Vincent Gallagher had suffered from Suppurative Otitis Media, a chronic ear infection, for some time. It went on to say, “On June 27^th 1915, he was buried as a result of a shell striking the roof of his dugout on the banks of the Yser. Received a blow on frontal region of head, followed by great swelling and X-Ray showed no damage to skull. Patient suffered from head giddiness for some time afterwards. He was admitted to hospital on 13^th July 1915 with some giddiness and contusion of the skull. Was then found to have discharge from both ears.”

The report then went on in medical terms to discuss Vincent Gallagher’s ear infection.

A later report showed that he was recovering well and he was deemed fit for Garrison Duty, also being fit for overseas service. He remained an in-patient until 27^th August 1915.

On 16^th October 1915, while based at Weston Camp, Vincent Gallagher was placed on a change for “Disobeying lawful commands given by a superior officer”. As punishment for this, he was ordered to forfeit two days pay.

He returned to duty in France on 14^th January 1916 and did not return to the UK again.

Sapper Gallagher’s unit, the 422^nd Field Company, will likely have been tasked with support in the Battle of Cambrai in November and December of 1917.  Sir Douglas Haig described the object of the Cambrai operations as the gaining of a 'local success by a sudden attack at a point where the enemy did not expect it' and to some extent they succeeded. The proposed method of assault was new, with no preliminary artillery bombardment. Instead, tanks would be used to break through the German wire, with the infantry following under the cover of smoke barrages. The attack began early in the morning of 20 November 1917 and initial advances were remarkable. However, by 22 November, a halt was called for rest and reorganisation, allowing the Germans to reinforce. From 23 to 28 November, the fighting was concentrated almost entirely around Bourlon Wood and by 29 November, it was clear that the Germans were ready for a major counter attack. During the fierce fighting of the next five days, much of the ground gained in the initial days of the attack was lost. For the Allies, the results of the battle were ultimately disappointing but valuable lessons were learnt about new strategies and tactical approaches to fighting. The Germans had also discovered that their fixed lines of defence, no matter how well prepared, were vulnerable.

The records show Sapper Gallagher reported as being Killed in Action on 30^th October 1917. His body was never identified and he is remembered on the Cambria Memorial in Louveral, France.

The Army Records Office wrote to his father in October 1919 asking for details of all living family members in order that the Memorial Scroll and Plaque could be disposed of correctly. His father replied to say that Vincent Gallagher was single and that his only living relatives were his mother and father. No mention is made of his brothers, who had been present on the 1901 census return.

In May 1920, James Gallagher signed to acknowledge receipt of his son’s British War Medal and Victory Medal, then in August 1921, he took delivery of his son’s 1914-1914-1915 Star.

 

 

Vincent Gallagher’s Medal Index Card showing his arrival into France on 2^nd January 1915.

 

Vincent Gallagher’s inscription on the Cambrai Memorial

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Unit/Regiment	9th Bn., Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	10/04/1918		Age at Death
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Croix-du-Bac British Cemetery Special Memorial G 8
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		St Helens, Lancs	Resided
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P120

Research ongoing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit/Regiment	8th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	18/11/1917		Age at Death		20
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Cambrin Military Cemetery L 56
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Catherine Moran (formerly Gilgannon), of 1, Mill St., Prescot, Lancs., and the late John Gilgannon
Census Details	1901 Census - John Gilgannon was aged 4 and lived with his mother and stepfather at 12, Mill Street, Prescot.  James Moran was a 26 year old Collier-Hewer. Along with his wife Catherine, 26, they also had a 9 month old son, Thomas Moran
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth Registered Q1/1897, Prescot, 8b, 735
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Prescot	Resided
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P121

Unit/Regiment	1st/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	11/10/1916	Age at Death	22
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery IV G 10
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of John and Margaret Jane Gleave, of Eccleston Park, Prescot, Lancs.
Census Details	1901 Census - The Gleave family were living at 19, Chester Road, Southport and comprised father John, a 40 year old builder, mother Margaret (38), and children John (11), Thomas (6) and George (4)
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth Registered Q3/1894, Prescot, 8b, 721
Notes	Thomas Reginald Gleave attended Prescot Grammar School from 1908 to 1910.
Research Ref. No.	P122

 

Unit/Regiment	1st/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	25/05/1915		Age at Death		22
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Menin Gate Panel 37
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Annie Gordon, of 28, Sleepers Hill, Everton, Liverpool, and the late Robert Gordon.
SDGW – Where Born	Liverpool	Enlisted		Prescot	Resided	Liverpool
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P123

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. 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.

It was more of the same throughout the next two weeks of May, then at 3 a.m. on the morning of the 24^th, the Germans released the largest cloud of gas seen so far in the war across a wide stretch of the British lines, followed by a large assault force.  Their followed almost a full day’s desperate fighting, often in very confusing situations, “B” and “C” companies occupied French Switch, a trench connecting the British and French troops, but they suffered from very heavy shelling of the trench, which inflicted considerable casualties.

The remainder of the day and all of the 24^th was spent in reorganisation and consolidation, also re-establishing contact with the French.  The battalion remained in the front line until 1^st June, but no serious German attacks were launched after 25^th May, although small scale actions continued. Both sides were now exhausted, having been in almost continuous contact for 33 days.

In this period, Sergeant Gordon (25^th), Rifleman Pickavance (25^th) and Corporal Yates (31^st) were all reported as Killed in Action. The fortunes of war denied graves to these men and they are remembered on the Menin Gate.

 

 

James Gordon’s Medal Index Card

 

 

Sergeant Gordon’s inscription on the Menin Gate

 

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Unit/Regiment	1st/9th Bn, Durham Light Infantry
Date of Death	16/09/1916		Age at Death		33
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 14A & 15C
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Mrs. Mary Cowen of 2, North Court, High St., Prescot, Lancs; husband of Mary Gordon, of 17, Quarry Row, Felling-on-Tyne, Gateshead
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth registered Q1/1884, Prescot, Vol 8b, Page 732
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Gateshead	Resided	Low Felling, Durham
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P124

Research ongoing