9923 Pte Henry Crouch, 2nd East Lancashire Regiment

According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 122 UK servicemen died one hundred years ago today on the 23rd November 1914. Henry Crouch was one such casualty, dying of wounds on this day.

Henry was born in Peesmarsh, Rye, East Sussex and enlisted with the East Lancashire Regiment at Canterbury in December 1908. Oddly, I can find no reference to his 1914 Star. His medal index card shows entitlement to the British War and Victory Medal but of course, he would have been entitled to the 1914 Star (and clasp) and probably arrived overseas with the battalion on the 7th November 1914.

The battalion had been in South Africa when war was declared and had only arrived back in England at the end of October. The war diary makes no mention of significant action in November and so Henry was possibly fatally wounded either during a relief, during one of those sporadic and desultory bombardments of British lines, or as a result of sniping; it's impossible to say.

Henry is buried in Estaires Communal Cemetery and Extension along with a number of other regular soldiers who were killed in action or died of wounds in November and December 1914.

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

36773 Sgt Jackson Stahl, 7th Bn, East Lancs Regt

36773 Sergeant Jackson Stahl of the 7th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment was killed in action on the 23rd October 1917. He was born in Manchester and enlisted there in January 1917. He is buried in the Oxford Road Cemetery at Ypres.

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

Sources:

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

28799 Pte Richard Airey, 7th Bn, East Lancs Regt

28799 Private Richard Aire of the 7th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, was killed in action on the 23rd September 1917. He was born in Blackburn and was still living there when he enlisted. He was 31 years old, the son of Mrs Martha Airey of 46 Primrose Terrace, Mill Hill, Blackburn, and the husband of Elizabeth Alice Airey of 30 Vale Street, Blackburn. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial at Passchendaele.

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

Sources:

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

6677 Pte James W Sydall, 7th Bn, East Lancs Regt

6677 Private James Wilson Sydall of the 7th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, was killed in action on the 5th July 1916. He was born in Rochdale, was living in Rochdale and enlisted at Bacup in Lancashire.

James's number indicates that he was not a Kitchener vlunteer but probably a Special Reservist who had enlisted at the end of August 1914. Given his age, it's also a possibility that he had previous military experience.

The other possibility is that James was a serving regular soldier and that 6677 belongs to the regulars' number series and dates to late March or early April 1901. Regardless of when he originally joined, he certainly arrived overseas in France on the 18th July 1915.

Although James's service record no longer survives, other records show that he had married Sarah Jane Maden in the June quarter of 1902 and it would seem a likelihood that the couple were raising a family at the time of James's death. The Commonwealth war Graves Commission confirms that James was the son of Samuel and Ann Syddall, and the husband of Janey Syddall. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme.


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

Sources:

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

240167 Pte John Ogden, East Lancashire Regt

240107 Private John Ogdon of the 2/5th East Lancashire Regiment, died of wounds on the 2nd April 1918. He was born in Manchester and enlisted at Ramsbottom. He is buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension in Rouen.

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

Sources:

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

7672 Pte George Carter, 1st Bn, East Lancashire Regt

7672 Private George Carter of the 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, died of wounds on the 2nd December 1915. George was an old soldier who had joined the East Lancs in 1903 and who therefore almost certainly on the Reserve when war was declared in August 1914. His medal index card is a little faded but it looks as though he arrived in France on the 22nd August 1914 and was therefore entitled to the clasp for his 1914 Star (indicated on his medal index card).

George was born in Accrincton and was stll living there when he enlisted. He is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord).

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

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War

2896 Pte Robert Wilson, 1/5th East Lancashire Regiment

2896 Pte Robert Wilson of the 1/5th East Lancashire Regiment, died of wounds on the 29th July 1915. Soldiers Died in The Great War notes tha he enlisted at Haslingden, Lancashire, whilst the Commonwealth war Graves Commission adds nothing further other than to record that he is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.

Robert's army service number indicates that he joined the 5th East Lancashire Regiment in October 1914. He may well have originally joined the 2/5th East Lancs and then transferred to the 1/5th. In any event, his medal index card shows that he arrived on the Gallipoli peninsular on 23rd July 1915 and died of wounds just six days later.

There is an impressive war memorial at Haslingden and also a memorial stained glass window in St Stephen's church which was unveiled in 1927. On a brass plaque close by are the names of 16 men of Haslingden who gave their lives for their King and Country, and presumably Robert Wilson's name is amongst these. He is certainly remembered by name on the memorial plaques at Haslingden Public Library.

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

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
Helles Memorial photograph from Merrow Residents' Association