Living at 3, Carlton Street, Prescot is William Robert Vidler, a 29 year old Salesman at the Wire Works, his wife Elizabeth, 25, and daughter Marion, aged 1.
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
William Robert Vidler was born in 1871 in Horsmonden Kent.
Marriage to Elizabeth Ackers registered Q2/1899, Prescot
Death Registered Q4/1917, aged 46, Prescot.
Notes
William Vidler’s wife Elizabeth was the sister of Private John Ackers, killed on 3rd May 1915
Research Ref. No.
P283
Service Details
The son of Henry and Mary (nee Blackford), William was baptised on 9th July 1871. The 1881 census shows that William’s father Harry was a charcoal burner, aged 66 while William was just 9 years old. His mother, Mary, was 56 at the time. By the time of the 1891 census, William had left home and was living in Cobham, Surrey, where he worked as a Domestic Gardener. It is not clear how and why he ended up living in Prescot, where he married Elizabeth Ackers in 1899. However, it is possible that it was associated with his work. The 1901 census shows him working at the Wire Works, British Insulated and Helsby Cables Ltd. As the company had links to Erith in Kent, it is possible that William had started work there but had relocated to Prescot.
His army number of 140 is one of the numbers issued when the Territorial Force, of which the 1st/5th Battalion was part, was formed in 1908, so it seems likely that as with so many men of the day, William attested into the Territorials, which would have required him to attend a fortnight’s training camp every year.
The Battalion had in fact just started its annual training when war broke out in August 1914. It was immediately sent to Edinburgh until October, then moved to Tunbridge Wells until February 1915. It was then ordered to France, sailing on the 13th 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 28th April when it was moved to Vlamertinghe, Belgium in readiness to take part in the 1st Battle of Ypres, which had started on the 22nd.
William Vidler arrived in France on 13th February 1915 with the battalion as shown by his Medal Index Card below. This also records his award of the Silver War Badge (SWB) which would be awarded due to being wounded. It is likely that these wounds were serious enough to lead to his discharge from the army due to health reasons on the 5th April 1916, although no record of the action in which he received these wounds can be located.
William Vidler passed away late in 1917 in Prescot, aged 46.
It can also be seen from the reverse of the Medal Index Card (the second image below) that on 27/11/19 his widow Elizabeth, living at 13, Cross Street, Prescot, submitted an application for a 1914-1915 Star, to which her husband was entitled.
William Vidler’s Medal Index Card
The reverse of Vidler’s Medal Index Card
William Vidler's Death Certificate
Private 35597 George WAGSTAFF
Unit/Regiment
1st Bn., South Wales Borderers
Date of Death
18/04/1918
Age at Death
20
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery
VII E 2
Census Details
1901 Census -
No 2 House, Saggersons Court, Prescot, was the home of James Wagstaff, a 40 year old coal miner, his wife Mary, 30, and children William (7), Mary (6), George (4) and 6 month old Peter
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
Birth registered Q2/1897, Prescot, 8b, 691
SDGW – Where Born
Prescot, Lancs
Enlisted
Leigh, Lancs
Resided
How Died
Killed In Action
Theatre of War
France & Flanders
Notes
Formerly 28432 Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Brother of William Wagstaff. Next door neighbour of Richard Renshal.
Research Ref. No.
P284
Research ongoing
The pictures below show the headstone of Pte George Wagstaff at Cabaret Rouge Cemetery, pictured by M. Aurel Sercu on Friday 24th April 2009. Pte Wagstaff's grave is in the front centre of the second picture, and second from the left in the final picture, which also shows Notre Dame de Lorette Cemetery on the far horizon.
George Wagstaff’s Medal Index Card. His medal entitlement was to the British War Medal and Victory Medal. The lack of a "Theatre of War" note and no "Star" award indicates that he did not go overseas before 1916.
Private 44036 William WAGSTAFF
Unit/Regiment
12th Bn., Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment)
Date of Death
12/09/1918
Age at Death
24
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Le Gran Beaumart British Cemetery
I B 8
Census Details
1901 Census -
No 2 House, Saggersons Court, Prescot, was the home of James Wagstaff, a 40 year old coal miner, his wife Mary, 30, and children William (7), Mary (6), George (4) and 6 month old Peter
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
Birth registered Q1/1894, Prescot, 8b, 698
SDGW – Where Born
Prescot, Lancs
Enlisted
Leigh, Lancs
Resided
How Died
Killed In Action
Theatre of War
France & Flanders
Notes
Formerly 14942 Lancashire Fusiliers. Brother of George Wagstaff. Next door neighbour of Richard Renshal.
Research Ref. No.
P285
Research ongoing
William Wagstaff’s Medal Index Card shows service with the Lancashire Fusiliers and Labour Corps before he joined the North Staffordshire Regiment. His service entitled him to the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Private 4449 Edward WAINE
Unit/Regiment
1st/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death
07/09/1916
Age at Death
35
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Delville Wood Cemetery
I B 10
Census Details
1901 Census -
at 13 Yates Court, Sewell Street, Prescot, were William Waine (45), a coal miner, his wife Mary (39), and children Edward (19), a colliery labourer, Elizabeth (16), Anne (13), John (10), Mary (7) and Sarah (5).
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
SDGW – Where Born
Prescot, Lancs
Enlisted
St Helens, Lancs
Resided
Prescot, Lancs
How Died
Killed In Action
Theatre of War
France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.
P286
Service Details
Although the Battle of the Somme had commenced on 1st July 1916, the battalion, part of 55th Division, was only engaged with active patrolling and sniping. On 22nd July, they received orders to move south and on the 25th, they arrived at billets inn Ville-sous-Corbie.
On 8th August, the battalion was ordered to capture the village of Guillemont, which had defied all previous attempts at capture and was a thorn in the side of the British forces. The attack commenced at 4.20 a.m. and initially all objectives were taken despite strong resistance. By the end of the day, the Railway Station and the front line trenches in front of the village were in allied hands. Orders were then received to be ready to continue the attack the following morning.
Zero hour was again at 4.20 a.m. and the initial assault was met with withering machine gun fire from the German defenders, resulting in the troops falling back to their starting points. This also resulted in the companies being heavily mixed up and it was noon before reorganisation was complete. After this, the battalion remained near Trones Wood until the 10th, clearing the dead of the previous two days of battle and consolidating the ground won at such a heavy cost. On the evening of the 10th, they were withdrawn to bivouac and then on the 12th returned to the line at Maltz Horn Farm.
On the 13th, “D” Company of the battalion worked in partnership with French units to clear German forces from an area known as Cochrane Alley, specifically to take an isolated German trench. Unfortunately, the French failed to take their objectives and the British attack came under withering German machine gun fire, which drove the men back. The battalion was withdrawn on the 15th, this time to billets at Meulte. In three days of fighting they had lost 3 officers and 80 other ranks – slight losses in comparison to other units at that time.
They remained out of the line until 5th September when they were sent to occupy support trenches in front of Delville Wood. This was a notoriously “unhealthy” place to be at that time and the battalion was kept busy digging strong points and communications trenches, usually under heavy enemy artillery fire.
Private Waine was Killed in Action on 7th September, probably as a result of German artillery. His body was recovered from the battlefield and he now rests in Delville Wood cemetery. He was one of three Prescot men serving with the battalion who were killed that day, Serjeant John Valentine and Corporal William Edwards being the others.
The Battalion War Diary for this period is reproduced below.
Sep 5
Moved up and relieved 72nd Inf Bde in front of DELVILLE WOOD. Bde dispositions. Front line 1/5 Loyal North Lancs Regt on Right, 1/5 KO Royal Lancs on Left, 1/5 South Lancs in support in check line S23a, 1/10 Liverpool Regt in reserve in front of MONTAUBAN. 1/5 South Lancs Regt relieved 8th West Kent Regt. Relief complete 7pm.
Sep 6
Check line cleaned and improved and front line visible
Sep 7
Btn out at night digging Strong Points 300’ in advance of front line trenches held by 1/5 Loyal North Lancs Regt. Four Strong Points dug and Communication Trench from original front line to Right Strong Point. Casualties 4 Officers 40 O Ranks.
The Parish Magazine of 27th October 1916 stated “Since the October magazine was published in which the names of 47 of our heroic dead were recorded, 7 more have fallen in the long battle of the Somme. The list then followed, including “Rifleman Edward Waine, 35, of Sewell Street, 5th S. Lancs.”
Prescot Reporter 14th September 1917
Edward Waine’s Medal Index Card
Edward Waine’s grave at DelvilleWoodCemetery
Private 91254 John WAINE
Unit/Regiment
4th Bn, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Date of Death
17/04/1918
Age at Death
19
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Tyne Cot Memorial
Panel 31 to 32, 162, 162A and 163A
CWGC Family Details
(if shown)
Son of Joseph and Emily Waine, of 62, Sewell St., Prescot, Lancs
Census Details
1901 Census -
Living at 8, Yates Court, Sewell Street, Prescot, were Joseph Waine, a 36 year old Coal Miner, his wife Emily, 26, and children Sarah (7), Joseph (5), John (2) and Sandiland (1 month)
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
Birth registered Q1/1899, Prescot, 8b, 707
SDGW – Where Born
Enlisted
Warrington, Lancs
Resided
Prescot, Lancs
How Died
Killed In Action
Theatre of War
France & Flanders
Research Ref. No.
P287
Service Details
The Parish Magazine of 29th May 1918 added 10 names to the existing 106 who had already fallen, including “”Pte. John Waine, 19, King’s Liverpool. Fell in action, 15th April, of 62, Sewell Street, son of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Waine”.
John Waine’s Medal Index Card. His entitlement was to the British War Medal and Victory Medal
John Waine’s inscription on the Tyne Cot memorial
Trooper 2116 William Frederick WAINE
Unit/Regiment
Household Bn., Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line
Date of Death
14/08/1917
Age at Death
28
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Berlin South West Cemetery
XVIII D9
CWGC Family Details
(if shown)
Born at Prescot, Lancs. Son of John and Susannah Waine, of Seymour Hotel, Hanna, Alberta, Canada
Census Details
1901 Census -
The Waine family lived at 35, Eccleston Street, Prescot, and comprised John (40), a licensed victualler, Susannah (38), William (12), Gladys (10), Elsie (8) and Winifred (5).
Noting that the CWGC record had the family address as a hotel in Canada, I tried to find if the family had any further connections there.
FA Lamb started construction of the Seymour Hotel in fall of 1912.Vasser, who started construction of the National Hotel in fall of 1912, bought the Seymour in fall of 1913 before the construction was completed. The National Hotel opened in March 1913 and the Seymour opened in June of 1914. The Seymour was located at the corner of Railway Ave and Main St (now called Center Street or McCrea Drive).It had 34 rooms and the rate was $2 per day.The Seymour does not operate today The local cemetery records do not include anybody named Waine so it would appear that the family were transient at the time.
Research Ref. No.
P288
Service Details
The Parish Magazine of 28th June 1917 reported “The following are deaths in action, all in France or Belgium” and included “Trooper William Frederick Waine, 28, of Warrington Road, Household Brigade. Missing since 11th May 1917”.This report is clearly somewhat premature, as William Waine died in August 1917.
Trooper Waine’s Medal Index Card listing his entitlement to the British War Medal and Victory Medal
Although William Frederick Waine is buried in BerlinSouthWestCemetery, indicating that he died whilst a Prisoner of War, his family decided to have an inscription included on the family headstone in Prescot Churchyard. The pictures below show the CWGC stone in Berlin and also the family stone in Prescot.
Trooper Waine’s grave in BerlinSouthCemetery
The above stone is in a very poor state of repair, with the main cross having fallen. Frederick Waine’s inscription is in the middle tier of what remains.
Private 241183 David WAINE
Unit/Regiment
2nd/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death
30/12/1917
Age at Death
20
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Tyne Cot Memorial
Panel 92 to 92 and 162A
Census Details
There are two possible candidates in the 1901 census; one is the 2 year old son of Thomas and Harriett Waine living in Roby, the second is 6 year old son of William and Elizabeth Waine, living in Whiston. Neither of these boys have an age which matches that of David Waine, but this could be due to errors on the census.
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
Birth registered Q1/1897, Prescot, 8b, 729
SDGW – Where Born
Prescot, Lancs
Enlisted
Prescot
Resided
How Died
Killed In Action
Theatre of War
France & Flanders
Notes
Research Ref. No.
P289
Service Details
The 2nd/5th battalion of the South Lancashire regiment was officially constituted at Liverpool on September 23rd, 1914, principally as a “second line” unit for the 1st/5th battalion. It proceeded to Blackpool on 11th 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 3rd/5th 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 16th February 1917 for Folkstone. Their departure for France was delayed by fog until the 20th, 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 4th March, they moved into the front line trenches for the first time, relieving the men of the 2nd/4th 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 HouthulstForest sector on Christmas Day under constant German harassing fire. On 27thn 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 30th/31st 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.
Amongst those killed was Private David Waine. His body was never identified and he is now commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
David Waine’s Medal Index Card
David Waine’s inscription on the Tyne Cot memorial
