WW1 Casualty: Private 1722 John Ackers - Private 1722 John Ackers
(c) Prescot Museum
| Unit/Regiment |
1st/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment |
| Date of Death |
03/05/1915 |
Age at Death |
20 |
Burial/Memorial
& Reference |
Menin Gate
Panel 37 |
| Census Details |
1901 Census -
John Ackers, aged 6, son of John (51) and Mary Ackers (48), lived at 39, St Helens Road.
1911 Census -
John Ackers (60), his wife Mary (58) and children John (16) and Margaret (3) lived at 69, St Helens Road, Prescot. |
| SDGW - Where Born |
Prescot, Lancs |
| Enlisted |
Prescot |
| How Died |
Killed In Action |
Theatre of War |
France & Flanders |
| Notes |
There are two Commonwealth War Graves Commission entries for John Ackers, but only one entry on the Prescot Civic Memorial. Given the details extracted from the census, it is likely that this is the man mentioned on the memorial, as he was born in Prescot. |
| Research Ref. No. |
P001 |
Service DetailsJohn Ackers sister, Elizabeth, was the wife of William Vidler.
The 5th 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 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.
On 2nd 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 3rd May, it was moved to the new line in front of Wieltje, and then on the 4th 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.
Private Ackers would have been killed in the fighting at Wieltje. His body was never identified and he is remembered on the Menin Gate memorial.
His service is commemorated on the United Reformed Church Roll of Honour
The Manchester Evening News of 24th May 1915 reported Pte Ackers death, along with other Prescot men Harold Baines and Thomas Henry Bishop
The panel on the Menin Gate (above) bearing the inscription for Private Ackers and a close up of the actual inscription (below)
John Ackers has also been commemorated on the family headstone in Prescot St Mary's Churchyard, as can be seen in the images below, courtesy of Les Birchall
Announcement in the Prescot Reporter, 14th September 1917
Private Ackers' entry in the Register of Soldiers Effects
I am indebted to Harry Foster, grandson of William Vidler who has supplied me with the two documents shown below, which relate to Private Ackers, who as we saw earlier, was William Vidler's brother-in-law.
This picture reportedly shows John Ackers on the far right, with his comrades. I believe, by the absence of cap badges, that this picture will have been taken in the early days of their training, and certainly before they went overseas.
Harry points out that the identification of John, by Lilian Vidler, youngest daughter of William Vidler, may not be 100% accurate as the man identified has a Corporal's stripe, while John was only a Private.
Lilian Vidler's memories are shown below in a typed transcript of a conversation which took place in 1993. She discussed both her Uncle, John Ackers, and her father, William Vidler.
John Ackers' Medal Index Card
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