Friday 12 March 2010

9228 Pte Frederick Handforth, 2nd Bn, Cheshire Regt

Day three of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle: 12th March 1915. On this day in 1915, the British Army lost 1050 officers and men, and 9228 Pte Frederick Handforth of the 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment was one of these casualties.

According to Soldiers Died in The Great War, Frederick was born in the parish of St Michael's in Macclesfield and enlisted at Macclesfield. He was a Special Reservist who had joined the 3rd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment in February 1912. Pages from his service record survive in WO 363 and the following information is taken from this.

Frederick was 17 years and two months old when he joined the Special Reserve. He indicated on his attestation paper that he was a serving member of the 7th (Territorial Force) Battalion (he had joined the battalion the previous month). He was five feet, four and a quarter inches tall, had grey eyes and dark brown hair.

Having joined the Special Reserve, Frederick Handforth immediately commenced training and completed this in June 1912 (four months). The following year he completed one month's musketry training. He was present at the annual training camps in 1913 and 1914.

Frederick sailed for France on the 7th October 1914 and remained overseas until the 8th January 1915. He was back in England between the 9th January and the 5th March, returning to France the following day. Had he stayed in England for one week longer, there might have been an entirely different outcome to his military career.

Frederick was twenty years old when he died. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that he was the son of Elizabeth Belfield (formerly Handforth) of 28 George Street West, Macclesfield, and the late Ralph Handforth. He is buried in Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery in Belgium.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC, WO 363)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission



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