Prescot Roll of Honour

Peter ASHCROFT

12, Pottery Field, Prescot

Private 8336, 2nd Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers

The 1911 Census showed Peter living at 12, Pottery Place, off Kemble Street, Prescot. Peter, a 35 year old Coal Miner, had been married to Mary Alice (nee Wright) for 16 years, and two of their three children were still living - Annie (15) and Elizabeth (12). All four members of the family are recorded as being born in Prescot.

Elizabeth married Francis Brookes, who fell in the war and is commemorated here -> http://prescot-rollofhonour.info/index.php?cas=37

Peter's Medal Index Card shows that he served as Private 8336 with the Lancashire Fusiliers, and his medals (which remain with his family), add that the received these for service with the 2nd Battalion of the regiment.

His records have not survived, but the Disembarkation Date on his card of 19th September 1914 suggests to me that he may have served as a pre-war Territorial and was called up on the outbreak of war, possibly while still a reservist.

He will almost certainly have disembarked at Bolougne, and at the time the 2nd Battalion were in retreat, crossing the Marne on the 9th September. They moved around the northern part of France for a few weeks and were involved in the counter-attacks at Le Touquet on 18th and 21st October.

As the war settled to trench stalemate, the 2nd Battalion alternated between Billets at Le Bizet and trench duty at Le Touquet from mid-November 1914 to late April 1915.

In May 1915, Peter's name was included in the Prescot Reporter list of men serving the Colours.

The Battalion then moved to the Ypres Salient were they were subject to the first gas attacks on 30th April, part of the Second Battle of Ypres. They remained in the Salient until June 1915 after which they spent the rest of 1915 moving around the trenches and reserve close to Forceville and Auchonvillers in France.

1916 saw them in the trenches at Serre and Ransart until they moved up for the Somme offensive, being part of the attack on Beaumont Hamel on 1st July. After 10 days in the line, they withdrew and by the end of July the battalion was back in the Salient, where they stayed until the end of September.

This pattern of movement between France and Flanders continued throughout the remainder of the war. Peter Ascroft's Medal Card shows that he was discharged as Medically Unfit on 20th September 1917, three years and 1 day after landing in France.

I am informed by Peter's family that he was affected by gas, but without his records, it is impossible to know for certain where and when he suffered these injuries.

Peter returned to Prescot, where he died in late 1927 at the age of 52.

He was entitled to the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.