4722 Colour Sergeant Robert Wilson DCM, 1st Manchester Regt

Sixty-nine British Army officers and men lost their lives on this day, one hundred years ago; a relatively low casualty day by the standards of the Western Front.

4722 Colour Sergeant Robert Wilson DCM, was one of two Manchester Regiment casualties on the 30th November 1914. He died of wounds that he had sustained in the actions at Neuve Chapelle three days earlier, actions for which he would be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Robert Wilson, like the majority of the BEF fighting overseas at this time, was a career soldier; a man who had joined the Manchester Regiment in October 1895, seen fighting in the Boer War and was already in possession of a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal when Britain went to war in August 1914.

In 1995, Robert's medals were sold at auction for £1550 by Dix Noonan Webb, considerably more than the estimated £800-£1000. The catalogue entry for this group, courtesy of Dix Noonan Webb, reads:

"A fine 1914 DCM group of seven awarded to Colour Sergeant Robert Wilson, 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment, for gallantry in action near Neuve Chapelle during which he was wounded and later died. "Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (4722 C.S. Mjr, 1/Manch R); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Transvaal (4722 Pte. Manch R); King’s South Africa, 2 clasps (Pte); 1914 Mons Star Trio (4722 C. Sjt., 1/Manch R); Army Long Service and Good Conduct, GVR (4722 C.Sjt., Manch.Regt.) together with Bronze Memorial Plaque... "

The battalion war diary for the 27th November states: "On the conclusion of the artillery bombardment at 11.30 pm, Captain Creagh sent out two parties of ten men each from No III Coy to reconnoitre the enemy’s sniping ditch to his right front about 60 yards distant. These were fired on from the enemy’s trenches but they advanced and found about 60 yards of trench unheld. They were then bombed and C.S. Wilson and 2 men were wounded. These parties returned carrying their wounded and had no more casualties."

Colour Sergeant Wilson, a native of Ardwick, Manchester, is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. He was 37 years old, the son of the late Thomas and Elizabeth Wilson and the husband of Nellie Wilson, of 22 Whittaker Lane, Heaton Park, Manchester. He also had a young daughter.

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

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