253 Sgt Charles Kenneth Valentine 1/6th Manchester Regiment

403 British Army officers and men lost their lives on this day, one hundred years ago.

5th June 1915. An unspectacular day for many and yet of those 403 names, 203 are recorded on the Helles Memorial on Gallipoli; many of these, men from the Manchester Regiment who lost their lives in an attack on Turkish positions. At a stroke then, we can see that more than half of those who died or who were killed on this day, have no known grave.

253 Sergeant Charles Kenneth Valentine of the 1/6th Manchester Regiment is one of those 203 names. Soldiers Died in The Great war notes that he was born in Moss Side and enlisted at Manchester whilst the entry in the soldiers' effects register records his sister Annie as his sole legatee. She received seven pounds, one shilling and two pence and later a gratuity of five pounds.

Charles was born in 1883 in Manchester.  His birth was registered at Chorlton, Lancashire in the second quarter of that year. The last census on which he would appear was the 1911 census and this shows him living with five siblings at 5 The Polygon, Lower Broughton, Manchester. Charles is recorded as a trained and certificated 27-year-old elementary school teacher for Manchester City Corporation while his 42-year-old brother, William Hunt Valentine, also a certificated teacher, is noted as the head of the household. Other siblings noted are Annie Carrington Valentine, Elizabeth Thompson Valentine, Gertrude Louise Valentine, and George Hamilton Valentine. William Taylforth, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher and boarder brings the total household count up to seven.

Going back to the 1891 census, the first census that Charles appeared on, we see him living with his parents: 47-year-old George (an accountant) and his 48-year-old wife, Letitia J Valentine. There are ten children noted, in age order: Annie (23), William (21), Mary Alice (20), Elizabeth (18), Thomas (18), Gertrude (16), Margaret (12), George Hamilton Wardlow (9), Percy W (9) and Charles Kenneth (9). The striking thing about these siblings is their ages: two aged 18 and three aged 9.  Percy Wardlow Valentine though, was actually born in 1881 as was his brother George.

Charles's medal index card notes incorrectly that he died in July 1915. There are no surviving papers for this man but his regimental number certainly marks him out as an original member of this battalion, a man who would have joined in April 1908 and who almost certainly had seen service in the Volunteer Force prior to this. His date of arrival overseas is the date that the 5th and 6th Battalions of the Manchester Regiment landed on Gallipoli.

Going by the date of his birth registration, Charles would have been 32-years-old when he was killed at Gallipoli.

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

9612 Pte Cyril E Cook, 5th Bn, Wilts Regt

9612 Private Cyril Edward Cook of the 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment was killed in action on Gallipoli on the 15th December 1915. Cyril was just seventeen years old, the son of Arthur Ernest and Florence Ethel Cook of 29 Park Road, Harringay, London. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial. Soldiers Died in The Great War notes that he was born in Barking and living in East Finchley when he joined up. He enlisted at Lambeth.

Cyril's birth was registered in the March quarter of 1899 and he appears on the 1901 census with his parents and two siblings living at 5 Park Hall Parade in Finchley. His army number dates to August 1914 which means that he was an early volunteer and probably no older than 16; one of Lord Kitchener's youngest recruits.

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

3457 Pte Harry Denman, Lincs Yeo

3457 Pte Harry Denman of the Lincolnshire Yeomanry died at sea on the 3rd November 1915. He was 23 years old, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Henry Denman of Owmby-by-Spital, Lincoln. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial on Gallipoli.

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

7808 Sgt Cecil Clifford, 1st Bn, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

7808 Sergeant Cecil Clifford of the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was killed in action on Gallipoli on the 21st August 1915. He was born in Dublin but enlisted in London in late 1903. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

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

9792 Pte William Vanderplank, 10th Bn, Hants Regt

One thousand, three hundred and fifty-seven men died on this single day in 1915, the majority of these on Gallipoli. Romsey-born 9792 Private William Vanderplank of the 10th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, was one of the day's fatalities. He was killed in action on the 10th August, just five days after having arrived on the peninsular. He was living in Romsey but had enlisted at Winchester. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

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

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