Unit/Regiment	1st Bn., South Wales Borderers
Date of Death	21/12/1914		Age at Death		24
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Le Touret Memorial Panel 14 and 15
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Gray, of 99, Derby St., Crewe, Cheshire
SDGW – Where Born	Whiston, Lancs	Enlisted		Crewe	Resided
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P125

Service Details

William Gray was probably a reservist with the South Wales Borderers at the outbreak of war, serving with the 1^st Battalion. He embarked for France in November 1914, arriving there on 29^th and joining the battalion which had landed at Le Havre in August.

The regimental history records that as far as the 1^st Battalion was concerned, the first half of December was very quiet, although they had only recently come out of the line near to Ypres. On 3^rd December, the battalion was inspected by the King and the following day an additional draft of 138 men joined the battalion.

Around this time, the Indian Corps had resumed the offensive in the Artois region, attacking the German trenches between Festubert and Rue D’Ouvert. However the enemy had retaliated vigourously and had captured the front and support lines of one of the Indian divisions and Givenchy itself was in great danger.  The First Division, including the 1^st Battalion, South Wales Borderers, was ordered forward to support. This was at 5.00 p.m. on December 20^th and by 7.30 p.m. the battalion were marching in the darkness for Merville, arriving there just before midnight.

At 4.30 a.m. they moved off again in pouring rain for Bethune, arriving there at 8.00 a.m. and having breakfast at the roadside while their Brigadier went forward to investigate the situation. It turned out to be very serious and so the battalion, having covered 16 miles in a little over 12 hours, heavily laden, over poor roads and in atrocious weather, faced the prospect of having to move immediately into the attack.

Orders were received for the attack at 11.40 and the battalion moved off at 12.30, pushing on as fast as the congested roads would allow. However, the men were heavily burdened and still carried their packs, resulting in quite a few dropping out along the way.

By 2.45 p.m., the battalion, marching behind the Gloucester Regiment, was at the cross roads west of Festubert. The Gloucesters now marched off to the right and the Borderers halted under cover. They came out and attacked at 3.00 p.m. with “C” and “D” companies in the firing line and “A” and “B” in support. They were immediately confronted by a wall of shrapnel and rifle and machine gun fire, although they continued to press the attack over the waterlogged countryside.

The battalion pressed on until they occupied the original support trenches of the Indian Brigade with the Germans falling back to the old British front line 150 yards away.  The battalion had suffered heavy casualties and it was realised that without firm support from the flanks, it would be folly to press on the attack.

So the fight came to an end as the night of 21^st December wore on. Amongst those who fell that day was William Gray. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial.

 

 

William Gray’s Medal Index Card shows his arrival in France on 29^th November 1914, less than a month before he was killed in action

 

 

William Gray’s inscription on the Le Touret Memorial

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Unit/Regiment	5th Bn., East Lancashire Regiment, attached 126nd Coy., Machine Gun Corps
Date of Death	24/04/1917	Age at Death	29
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 6C
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Joseph and Sarah Alice Green, of Jack House, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Lancs.
Census Details	1901 Census – The Green family lived at Jack House, Oswaldtwistle. Parents Joseph (57, an Engineer) and Sarah (56) had children Mary (35), Henry (27, a Boot and Shoe Maker), John (20, a Surveyor), Nathan (18, a Cabinet Maker), Benjamin (12), Rose (11), Maud (9) and an unnamed daughter  of 1 month
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth Registered Q1/1889, Blackburn, Volume 8e, Page 460
Research Ref. No.	P126

 

Service Record

Benjamin Cecil Green was not a native of Prescot but worked as an Assistant Master at the Grammer School.

The 5th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment was formed in Burnley in August 1914 and sailed from Southampton for Egypt in September of that year. They remained in the middle east until around February/March 1917, when they were moved to the Western Front. 

Courtesy of Walter Holmes fo Accrington
A local newspaper report of February 1916

The 126th Coy of the Machine Gun Corps was the Brigade Machine Gun Company of the 126th Brigade, 42nd East Lancs Division. They weren’t in action until July of 1917 and so it would seen that 2/Lt Green was probably a victim of shell fire whilst behind the lines.    

His body was never recovered and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Parish Magazine of 28^th June 1917 reported “The following are deaths in action, all in France or Belgium” and included “Lt. B. C. Green, 26, Assistant Master at our Grammar School. 5^th East Lancs. Killed 23^rd April 1917”.

 

 

 

Both sides of Benjamin Green’s Medal Index Card, showing his entitlement to the British War Medal and Victory Medal, also recording his mother’s name and address, to which the medals were sent

2nd Lt. Green is also commemorated in the Oswaldtwistle War memorial and his family still lives in the area. The photographs below were provided by his great-great nephew, Adam Edmondson to whom I am very grateful. 

The first picture is a standard portrait, but the second shows Benjamin (wearing a greatcoat) at home on leave just two weeks before he was killed in 1917. The family still have a German helmet which Benjamin brought home as a souvenir.






The final picture shows him with two men in naval uniform. The man on the right is unidentified, but the man on the left is Winston Green, who went on to become an Admiral in the Royal Navy.

 

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Unit/Regiment	1st/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	21/09/1917		Age at Death
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Mendinghem Military Cemetery V D 18
SDGW – Where Born	Wigan	Enlisted		St Helens	Resided
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P127

Research ongoing

 

 

 

Sergeant Green’s grave (left) at Mendinghem Military Cemetery. The inscription is difficult to read due to the light conditions on the day of the photograph

 

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Unit/Regiment	1st Bn., King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Date of Death	18/11/1914		Age at Death
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Menin Gate Panel 4 and 6
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Liverpool	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P128

Service Details

The regimental history for the 1st Battalion states that they were quartered in Talavera Barracks in Aldershot in August 1914 and that mobilising the battalion took three days, all being "ready for anything" by 8th August. But then the reservists joined them and a further few days were spent in bringing these men up to date with items such as the new short rifle, which they had not used before.

Eventually, the battalion left Aldershot on 12th August at 6 a.m. and marched to Farnborough Station were they entrained for Southampton at 8 a.m. , arriving at 9.30. They embarked aboard the S.S. Irrawaddy and steamed away at mid-day, arriving it Le Havre at dawn the following day.

The battalion was in the midst of the fighting at Mons, and the retreat from there in late August, moving on to the Battle of the Marne in early September. It was at this point that the troops settled into what became know as Trench Warfare, digging in for the first time. The initial German assault had lost steam slightly by this time, and the regimental history records several days of inactivity. 

The battalion fought on the Aisne and also in a series of minor actions in the same areas between mid-September to mid-October, all of which led up to the First Battle of Ypres. This battle consisted of the Battle of Langemarck (21^st to 24^th October, followed by the Battle of Gehuvelt (29^th – 31^st October), with many smaller actions in between the two.

The battalion diary for the 1^st November finally recorded “All quiet during the night”. The German attempt to break through on to Ypres had been defeated and bloodily repulsed. The days now consisted of constant shell-fire and even without any set piece actions, the casualties continued to mount, with 17 men killed or wounded on the 1^st.

This continued daily, with the battalion forming the line along the southern edge of Polygon Wood. During the night of 10^th/11^th November, the signs indicated an enemy attack was forthcoming, with an extremely heavy German bombardment continuing throughout the night, lifting at 6 a.m.

The initial attack took place at 7.a.m. and was met by a wall of fire from the Kingsmen until the officers were able to call a halt to it. As daylight broke, the sight of a continuous wall of German dead met the battalions, their bodies lying several deep in parallel with the battalion front. Not one of the enemy had reached the trenches.

An intense bombardment followed, this the beginning on an historic day ion the battalion history – the day of the Prussian Guard attack. When the shelling ceased at 9 a.m. twenty five battalions of the Prussian Army, some 17.500 men, moved forward on the Menin Road, faced by less than 8,000 allied troops including the 1^st Battalion of the King’s.

The attack was beaten off time and again and at noon a message was received from battalion HQ “Situation well in hand, on no account should you quit your trenches”.  The Kingsmen, who had repulsed several enemy attacks, were indignant at this and replied, “No intention of quitting our trenches, but what about our rations?”

When the roll was called at nightfall, the battalion had lost 29 men killed and wounded, but had inflicted dreadful losses on the enemy.

Private Robert Green was one of the dead. His body was never identified and he is remembered on the Menin Gate memorial to the missing.

 

 

Private Green’s Medal Index Card showing his arrival in France just 4 days after the outbreak of the war. This entitled him to the 1914 Star in addition to his Victory Medal and British War Medal.

 

 

Robert Green’s inscription on the Menin Gate

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Unit/Regiment	2nd Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	29/09/1915		Age at Death		34
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery I C 26A
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Samuel and Ann Green, of 22, High St., Prescot, Lancs. Served in the South African Campaign
Census Details	1901 Census - Samuel was away serving in South Africa at the time of the census. His family lived at 32 High Street, Prescot. His father Samuel was a 56 year old Bootmaker, the remainder of the family being mother Ann (54) and children  George (20), John (27), Thomas (19), Elizabeth (25) and Annie (14). 1911 Census - Samuel was recorded as being 27 years old and was living at 13, High Street, Prescot, with his widowed father, 70 year old Samuel, and his sister Eliza, aged 42. Samuel Senior was working as a Bootmaker whilst his son was employed as a Labourer in the Insulating Room at the Wire Works.
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Warrington, Lancs	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Died of Wounds			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P129

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 o 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. Green was one of the wounded and he succumbed to his wounds on 29^th. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

 

Prescot Reporter 14^th September 1917

 

 

Private Green’s Medal Index Card

 

 

Samuel Green’s grave at Lijssenthoek

 

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Unit/Regiment	IWTRE, Corps of Royal Engineers
Date of Death	17/12/1915		Age at Death		33
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Longuenesse Souvenir Cemetery III A 26
Census Details	1901 Census – The Green family lived at 32, High Street, Prescot, where Samuel (56) was a Shoemaker. His wife was Ann, aged 54, and their children also living there were George (29)  and John (27), both Coal Miners, Thomas (19), a General Labourer, Elizabeth (25) and Annie (14).
SDGW – Where Born	Liverpool	Enlisted		Liverpool	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Died			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P130

Unit/Regiment	1st/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	03/05/1915		Age at Death		30
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Menin Gate Panel 37
Census Details	1901 Census - Richard Greenall had been born in Widnes, and the census shows him living at 101 Stanhope Street, St. Helens. The family was Edwin (50, an engine driver), Mary (53), and their children Hannah (23), Thomas (18), Richard (16), Albert (14) and Edwin (12)
SDGW – Where Born	Widnes, Lancs	Enlisted		Widnes, Lancs	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P131

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.

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

 

Prescot Reporter 14^th September 1917

 

 

Richard Greenall’s Medal Index Card

 

 

Richard Greenall’s inscription on the Menin Gate

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Unit/Regiment	2nd Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	10/04/1918		Age at Death		37
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Ploegsteert Memorial Panel 6 & 7
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of William Henry and Ann Greenall; husband of Susannah Platt (formerly Greenall), of 14, Fisher St., Sutton Oak, Lancs.
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth Registered Q1/1880, Prescot, 8b, 731 Marriage to Susannah Hughes, Q2/1915, Prescot, 8b, 1402
SDGW – Where Born	St. Helens, Lancs	Enlisted		Warrington, Lancs	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.	P132

 

Service Details

At the beginning of 1918, the 2^nd Battalion were located in the Lagnicourt sector, opposite the notorious Hindenberg Line. In February, owing to the shortage of manpower, the 8^th (Service) Battalion ceased to exist, its men being transferred into the 2^nd. Battalion.

It was clear that there was additional activity in the German lines, and a corresponding increase in the activity of German aircraft. The German offensive finally began on the 21^st March and the battalion was in the thick of the fighting until the night of the 26^th, when they were withdrawn, marching to billets at Lanches which they reached on the 28^th.

In the 5 days of the initial offensive, they had lost 13 officers and 360 other ranks, killed, wounded and missing. Upon the arrival at Lanches of reinforcements of 15 officers and 343 other ranks, the battalion was reorganised with 4 companies, “A” to “D”.

The battalion was ordered to replace the Australians at Ploegsteert and by 2^nd April they occupied trenches some 2,000 yards east of the ruined village.  They remained here until the 8^th, when they marched back to the Rosignol rest area. However early the next morning, heavy shellfire was heard to the south, towards Armentieres and word was received that the enemy had broken through. The battalion was ordered to stand to, ready to move at a moment’s notice.

The battalion remained on stand by in support of the 8^th Border Regiment and 11^th Cheshires up to midnight on the 9^th.

The next morning the Germans advanced towards Ploegsteert and the battalion was ordered to occupy a position on the high ground, 2,000 yards west of the village. At 3.30 p.m. it was decided that a counter attack against Ploegsteert should take place, timed for 5 p.m. The attack was reasonably successful, but was held up by a large number of skillfully handled German machine guns.

Private Greenall was killed in this action. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

 

 

Ernest Greenall’s Medal Index Card

 

 

Ernest Greenall’s inscription on the Ploegsteert Memorial

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Unit/Regiment	Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
Date of Death	23/10/1919	Age at Death	34
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Eccleston (Christ Church) Graveyard O G 104
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Herbert Gregory, of Coventry, husband of Clara Gregory, of 54, Lugsmore Lane, St. Helens.
Census Details	1901 Census - Living at 8, Chester Street, Prescot, were Herbert Gregory, a 46 year old Watch Jeweller, his wife Emma (49), and children Amy (23), a Watch Jewel Maker, and son Herbert, 16, a Clerk at the Watch Factory. The census shows that all the Gregory family were born in Coventry Son Herbert R Gregory born Prescot, Q3/1914
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth registered Q4/1884,  Coventry, Vol 6d, Page 532 Marriage to Clara Cotton registered Q3/1908, Prescot, Vol 8b, Page 1208
Notes	The 1901 census shows that the Gregory family were originally from Coventry, with all the adult family members employed in the watch trade. Along with many other residents of Coventry, it seems that the Gregory family moved to Prescot in the 1890’s, seeking work at the Watch Factory. With the demise of the factory around 1911, most members of the family moved back to Coventry, but Herbert remained in Prescot with his wife, Clara.
Research Ref. No.	P133

 

Research ongoing

 

 

Appointment listed in the London Gazette, 5^th April 1918




Herbert Gregory's headstone in Christ Church Churchyard

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