The First World War in Greater Manchester
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 …
9 January 1915 the Oldham Chronicle published a supplement entitled ‘Our Local Heroes’. Inside were contained portraits of soldiers and sailors of the Oldham District who had been killed, and those who had gained distinction on the battlefield, which had appeared in the Oldham Daily and Weekly Chronicle up to 26 December 1914. Private Reuben …
This blog is part of a letter sent by Sergeant J Ainscough of Hindley, a soldier with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He describes his time training and arrival in France, the long marches in bad weather and weeks spent digging trenches. He then describes the funeral of Sergeant Bailey, junior. Researched and written by …
A BRAVE BOLTONIAN AND THE R34 AIRSHIP A blog written by Margaret Koppen from Bolton History Centre. Stanley Mort was born on the 12th November 1892 in Bolton the only son of Robert Lawson Mort and Eliza Ann (nee Hodkinson) who had married at St. Georges’ Church, Bolton on the 4th February, 1892. In 1901 John …
Raymond Keith Barlow - the first Royal Flying Corps airman to be killed on active service in the First World War. In the course of researching for a paper on the Trafford men of the Royal Flying Corps who gained awards for distinguished service, Trafford Local Studies volunteer researcher, Richard Nelson, chanced upon the fact …
This article appeared in the Wigan Observer on 25th March 1916. A true life romance of how a wounded soldier married the nurse who cared for him. According to his Attestation Paper, signed by Arthur on September 26 1914, Arthur was born on January 15 1891 in Wigan. His father worked in the coal …
The Story of John Joseph Wright M. M. This blog post was written by Richard Nelson, a volunteer at Trafford Local Studies In the course of research into the lives of men from Trafford who were awarded medals for gallantry in the First World War, the name of John Joseph Wright, Royal Engineers, was discovered …
