Son of John and Alice Prescott, of 43, Columbia Rd., Prescot, Lancs
Census Details
1901 Census -
Living at 15, Carlton Street, Prescot, were John Prescott, a 39 year old Watchmaker and his wife Alice (34), along with children May (10), Rose (9),Lillie (6) and James (3).
James Prescott’s Medal Index Card. His entitlement was to the British War Medal and Victory Medal
James Prescott’s grave at St Sever Cemetery Extension
Sapper 426351 Thomas Lewis PRESCOTT
Prescot Reporter 26/01/1917
Unit/Regiment
21st West Lancs. Field Coy, RE, Corps of Royal Engineers
Date of Death
04/01/1917
Age at Death
22
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery
V C 12
Census Details
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
Birth Registered Q3/1894, Prescot, 8b, 677
SDGW – Where Born
St. Helens, Lancs
Enlisted
St Helens, Lancs
Resided
Prescot, Lancs
How Died
Killed In Action
Theatre of War
France & Flanders
Notes
CWGC Service number is 7922
Research Ref. No.
P227
Research ongoing
The Parish Magazine of 27th November 1916 reported “The following have fallen in the present fighting on various battlefields” and included “Sapper Thomas Prescott, 22, R.E., of 46, Sutherland Road. January 1917”.
Thomas Prescott’s Medal Index Card. This lists his entitlement to the British War Medal and Victory Medal. It also shows both of his service numbers whilst serving with the Royal Engineers.
A cutting from the Prescot Report of 14th September 1917
Thomas Prescott’s grave in VlamertingheCemetery
Private 119 Thomas Peter PRESCOTT
Unit/Regiment
14th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Date of Death
23/07/1916
Age at Death
22
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Thiepval Memorial
Pier & Face 9A and 9B and 10C
CWGC Family Details
(if shown)
Son of Mrs. Mary Burrows (formerly Prescott), of 3, Market Place, Prescot, Lancs
Census Details
1901 Census -
Living at 45, Kemble Street were 33 year old John Prescott, an Ironmonger's Shop Assistant, his wife Mary (34) and children Thomas (7), Lillian (5) and Ernest (2).
The Prescott family grave in Prescot churchyard with a close up (below) of the memorial inscription for Thomas
Private 29882 William Henry PRESCOTT
Unit/Regiment
7th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death
22/07/1917
Age at Death
27
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Menin Gate
Panel 37
CWGC Family Details
(if shown)
Son of John Edward and Sarah Ann Prescott, of 36, Stapley Rd., Belvedere, Kent; husband of the late Elizabeth Alice Prescott, of 76, Eccleston St., Prescot, Lancs.
Census Details
1901 Census -
William Henry Prescott is shown on the census as "Henry", aged 10, and is living with his parents John (51, a Blacksmith) and Sarah (41) living at 3, Stapley Road, Erith, Kent. Also there are his siblings Ellen (21), Ethel (15), John (12) and Frank (4)
The 7th (Service) Battalion was formed from the large number of recruits who flocked to the colours as a result of Kitchener’s appeal in August 1914. The 6th and 7th Battalions were formed within a few days of each other but the 7th did not receive any uniforms until October, having to wear civilian clothes up to that time.
It was eventually trained and fully equipped by March 1915 and on 17th July the battalion embarked fro France on the SS “Onward”, arriving at Bolougne.
They moved into the line for the first time on 28th August, in the Festubert-Givenchy sector. They moved in and out of the line in rotation for several months, enduring the daily grind of warfare, with trench raids, artillery attacks, etc. to contend with.
In June 1916, the battalion was ready to join the great Somme offensive. On the 1st July, they moved into the line at 9.30, some 3 hours after the start of the assault, and waited for instructions. They were moved around for the next two days, but did not as yet engage the enemy. On 3rd July, they were tasked with an attack on the strongly defended ruins of La Boisselle, although the start time for the attack was not until 9.30 p.m. The attack was fierce and sustained extremely heavy casualties, but the village was finally cleared by bayonet point at 3pm the following day.
The battalion was withdrawn from the line early on 6th July, moving back to rest billets at Albert.
They moved in and out of the line throughout July as the battle of the Somme wore on, until finally at the beginning of August, they moved northwards into Flanders, to the Messines Ridge. They moved on again in September to the vicinity of Ploegsteert but spent a relatively quiet time there before yet again returning to the Somme in October, although the time was uneventful with regard to major incidents.
The battalion moved around the various fronts over the following year, being constantly engaged in many of the major operations, culminating in the Battle of Messines in June 1917.
In early July of that year, they moved to Butterfly Farm Camp and presented themselves to The King on one of his tours of the battlefield. They trained and refitted until the 19th when they once more went back into the line, near Pheasant Wood.
On 22nd July, “A” Company was tasked with capturing a tactical locality known as “Junction Buildings”, close to Oostaverne.These buildings had been captured twice already but on each occasion had been subsequently lost to German counter attacks. The attack began at 7.00 pm when the men swept forward under cover of the barrage and the objective was soon taken. At 9.00 pm, a message was received by carrier pigeon to say that a counter attack was in progress and asking for reinforcements, but Brigade Headquarters felt that it was impossible to consolidate the ground won. Subsequently, the company was relieved later that evening. All of the officers had been hit and of the 128 men who went into action, 55 were killed or wounded before the withdrawal.
Amongst those killed was Pte. William Prescott. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial to the missing.
The Parish Magazine of 25th May 1918 added 10 names to the existing 106 who had already fallen, including “Pte. William Henry Prescott, 27, 7th South Lancs. Missing since 22nd July 1917 and now believed by the War Office to have been killed. He leaves a widow and a baby boy, of 76, Eccleston Street”.
William Prescott’s Medal Index Card
William Prescott’s inscription on the Menin Gate
Private 120256 Albert John PRESTON
(c) Prescot Reporter
Unit/Regiment
(Infantry), 2nd Bn, Machine Gun Corps
Date of Death
07/03/1918
Age at Death
27
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Metz-en-Couture Communal Cemetery British Extension
Census Details
1901 Census -
Living at 52, Beaconsfield Street, Prescot, were Leopold Preston, a 33 year old Watch Pinion Maker, his wife Sarah Ann, 36, and sons Albert John, aged 10, and Arthur, aged 5
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
Birth Registered Q3/1890, Prescot, 8b, 691
Marriage to Kate Jones registered Prescot, Q1/1914, Volume 8b, Page 905
Children Rosanna (Q2/1914) and Doris (q1/1916), both born in Prescot
SDGW – Where Born
Prescot, Lancs
Enlisted
Prescot
Resided
Whiston, Lancs
How Died
Killed In Action
Theatre of War
France & Flanders
Notes
Formerly 204257 S. Lancs. Regt.
Research Ref. No.
P230
Service Details
The Parish Magazine of 25th March 1918 added 6 names to the existing 100 who had already fallen, including “Pte. Albert John Preston, 27. Machine Gun Corps. Killed in Action, 6th March 1918, 42 Mines Avenue, leaves a widow and 2 children”.
Private Preston’s Medal Index Card
Sapper 20129 Thomas Sedgewick PRESTON
Unit/Regiment
Sect “B”, AR, Royal Engineers
Date of Death
1920
Age at Death
35
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Not Known – probably Prescot Churchyard
Census Details
1901 Census –
Living at 5, Eccleston Street, was Mary Preston, a 49 year old widowed Dressmaker and her children Mary (25, a Dressmaker’s Assistant), Joseph (24, a Banker’s Clerk), Louisa (21, a Telephone Operator), Margaret (20, a Pupil Teacher), Henry (18, an Electrical Cable Tester), Thomas (16, an Electrical Switch Maker’s Apprentice) and Robert (12).
