The First World War in Greater Manchester
Thank you to our Archivesplus volunteer Núria Palomares for researching and writing this fascinating topic of the role of women during the First World War. The First World War brought many changes in the world, including to the lives of British women. The armed forces recruited a large number of men and previous male-dominant roles in …
To commemorate the Battle of Messines, we are sharing the stories of two soldiers as reported in the Leigh Journal in 1917. The Battle was a precursor to the Battle of Ypres (or Passchendaele). 21 mines were laid under the German lines of which 19 exploded. General Plumer remarked, "Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, …
Oldham Soldier’s Thrilling Escape from the Huns In the early hours of Wednesday 6 June 1917 Private Tom Lever of the 2nd Manchester Regiment arrived back at his home, 6 Spencer Street, Oldham. Later that morning he was interviewed by reporters from local newspapers for he was not back in Oldham on leave or suffering …
This article was researched by the Astley Lions Scout Troop and first appeared in Past Forward, the local history magazine of Wigan and Leigh Archives. Thomas Pendlebury, his wife Sarah and their 8 children lived in a small terraced house a stones throw away from the Astley Colliery which still stands today. In February 1915, a …
The Scouts of the Astley Lions Troop carried out research into the impact of the 1914 to 1918 First World War on the small community of Astley. They spent a day looking through the archives at Leigh as well as conducting some research on-line. The story of Thomas Sarsfield who lived in Astley was the …
This article is from the Wigan Archives and Local Studies website. They have a number of First World War resources available online; including a searchable database of soldiers, newspaper cuttings and photographs. Also included is the fascinating story of the Leigh Prisoner of War camp; part of the story can be read below. For more information …
Written by Local Heritage Officer Hannah Turner. This article first appeared in Past Forward, the local history magazine produced by Wigan Museums & Archives. Many local residents have been encouraged by the centenary of The First World War to share stories of their ancestors. The first is from Derek Timmins from Hindley Green. Derek has shared …
An article from Oldham Local Studies by Roger Ivens. At the end of June 1915 the experiment was made of employing women for the collection and delivery of letters in Oldham. It was undertaken with the double object of replacing enlisted postmen for whom suitable male substitutes could not be found, and of releasing for …
An article first reported in the Leigh Journal on 11 May 1917. The 'normal' routines of breakfast , biscuits and drinking tea are retold alongside the horror of war in the soldiers last letter home. '... we had a drink of tea and in the early afternoon over we went over the German lines.' Private Frank …
Based at Central Library, North West Film Archive is one of the UK’s largest and longest established public film collections, and is part of the Library Service Special Collections at the Manchester Metropolitan University. The Archive is the professionally recognised home for documentary moving images made in or about Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Cumbria, or …
