1915 PAGE 16
1915 PAGE 16
THE ASHTON TERRITORIALS, The 9th Battalion of the MANCHESTER REGIMENT.
1915.
Headlines of the Reporter 23rd October 1915.
TERRITORIALS MAKE THEIR PRESENCE FELT.
Published in the Reporter 23rd October 1915.
ASHTON TERRITORIAL LOSES SPEECH.
Private HAROLD WAINWRIGHT, who has arrived at his home, 43, Acres Lane, Stalybridge, this week, has had a remarkable escape whilst fighting with the 2/9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, Ashton Territorials, in the Dardanelles. Private WAINWRIGHT was formerly employed as a conductor on the Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley, and Dukinfield Joint Board's cars, on the Acres Lane Tame Valley route, but enlisted soon after the war broke out in the 2/9th Manchesters. He was in the Dardanelles eight weeks, and early in August there was a big artillery duel. "The Turks." he told a Reporter representative, "started bombarding us on August 4th, and until the 8th they kept it up. They got our range, and we all scattered out of the way. I got down a sap, and the shell might not have caught me if I had remained in the firing line. As it was it struck the sap and I was blown out, and for a time was stunned. I suffered from the concussion and lost my speech, but could hear and see and use all my other faculties. They told me it was the shock, and that I should soon get allright, and I remained on the Peninsula for several days, when my leg began to affect me, and then I was taken with dysentery and sent to England. I regained my speech a week or two on arriving in this country."
Published in the Reporter 23rd October 1915.
BRAVE DUKINFIELD MAN.
Private 2710 FREDERICK JOHN BACON, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. F.W. BACON, of 229, Dewsnap Lane, Dukinfield, has died of enteric fever, contracted whilst in the trenches in the Dardanelles. He was a member of the Dukinfield and Stalybridge Division of the St. John's Ambulance Association, and has done much good work on the football field, both at Dukinfield and the Celtic ground at Stalybridge. When there was an accident in the street, and he was anywhere near, he would always be the first to render what assistance he could to alleviate pain and get medical attention. In June, 1912, he was privileged to accompany the members of the Ambulance Brigade to Windsor, when the great review took place by his Majesty the King in Windsor Park of the whole of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. At the outbreak of the war he volunteered to go with the Expeditionary Force to France, but as there were only six members required from Dukinfield at the time, he was one of those, amongst others, who had to stay behind. He then joined the Sick Nursing Class at Dukinfield. He made good use of the instruction be received, which he carried out in the workshop, treating minor injuries there; in fact, it did not matter where he was, he would always try and do what he could in brightening the lives of others where sickness or otherwise overtook them. He had also been a member of the Boy Scouts in Dukinfield, and won numerous proficiency badges by examinations, and was held in high esteem by the scoutmasters and friends of the movement. He formerly belonged to the Boys' Brigade at the Old Chapel School, where the friends and minister, the Rev. Gwilym Evans, took a deep interest in him. He was also an honorary member of the Adamson Military Band, and always accompanied the band if he could, wherever they went, giving valuable assistance to the librarian, and the band conductor, Mr. S . Arnold. He was liked very much by all the members of the band, as he would always have a word of cheer for them, and ever ready to do anything for them at any time. In October 1914, he joined the 2/9th Battalion Manchester Regiment (Ashton Territorials), with his younger brother, ALFRED H. BACON. ALFRED, however, was certified by the examining doctor as medically unfit. Early in November he was drafted to Southport with the 2/9th Battalion, and was a favourite of the Company. He soon acquired the use of the rifle, and proved an excellent marksman. He was not long before he went to the Dardanelles and in the trenches. In his last letter home he said that he was getting quite used to it, but owing to the prevailing conditions he had an attack of dysentery, and was taken to a hospital in Alexandria. The chaplain there wrote on his behalf to his parents to notify them of his illness, but stated that it was not serious and nothing to be alarmed about. However, a week later (October 13th) they were officially notified of his death, which took place on September 28th. He had given his life in the service of his country, and though he felt his position acutely sometimes, he never flinched at doing his duty in any capacity, and was always punctual and practical in every thing he undertook. Thus ends the career of another of the brave lads who have so nobly responded to the nation's call for the preservation of our homes and the liberty and freedom of us all. (Frederick J. Bacon died on the 28th September. He is buried in the Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery).
Published in the Reporter 23rd October, 1915.
TWO DROYLSDEN BROTHERS.
Private PERCY BRADSHAW, of the 1/9th Manchester Regiment (Ashton Territorials) has been ill with enteric fever. His home is in Durban Street, Droylsden, where he has returned, after being treated in hospital and convalescent home. He has served in the gun section of his regiment. Private BRADSHAW is an expert bomb thrower. He was in hospital since June. He formerly worked in Messrs. Ashworth and Hadwen's Mill, Droylsden. He is loud in the praise of his treatment in Alexandria Hospital. In Egypt he lost his kit on one occasion, and with it many curios he had collected. The privates brother is also in the army, and has been in France practically since the start of the war. He belongs to the 2nd Manchesters, and re-enlisted for the war, having been in the regulars for four years previously. He has had a terribly hard and hazardous experience of the fighting, but so far has escaped without a scratch. It is stated he had 21 days continuous days in the trenches.
Published in the Reporter 23rd October 1915.
ASHTON MEN ON BURNING SHIP.
A startling experience befell an Ashton Territorial, Private JOHN RICHARDSON, whilst he was on board a hospital ship in the Dardanelles which was ready to proceed home. A fire broke out in the bunkers.
There were 300 or 400 wounded and sick soldiers on board, all of whom had to be removed speedily from the burning vessel, and transferred to the Franconia, which was in Lemnos Bay at the time. Private RICHARDSON arrived in Ashton on Wednesday, and was given a right royal reception. He lives at 153, Turner Lane, and the neighbours and friends hung out flags from their windows, and gave him a hearty welcome. Prior to joining the Territorials last September, Private RICHARDSON was a reeler at Hurst Mills. He is well known as a member of the Enville Hall Band, in which he plays the flute. Private RICHARDSON told a Reporter representative that he had had many narrow escapes whilst in the trenches, like all the other had, but it was not a wound that had led him to his being sent home, but an attack of jaundice. He arrived in England on September 8th, and had been in hospital at Bristol and Cheltenham. Whilst on the journey he met Private J. POTTER, who also lives in Turner Lane, Ashton. Private POTTER had had dysentery, and was at Malta for a time, and RICHARDSON and he came home together. Private POTTER arrived in Ashton some time before his comrade, and when the Reporter representative called at Private RICHARDSON'S home he was there, and could corroborate many incidents related by Private RICHARDSON. Private POTTER meant to get out to see fighting. He is an ex-soldier, and when the war broke out he joined his old regiment, the Cheshires. Thinking there was but a remote chance of seeing service, he transferred to the Manchester Regiment, and then when sent to Grantham he heard the Territorials were about to go away, and he made haste to join them. It cost him £10 before he could join them, but he was "keen on," and does not regret the monetary loss. Private POTTER acted under Major CONNERY, and cannot speak too highly of him. Private RICHARDSON said he was most impressed by the aerial torpedoes which the French artillery were using against the Turks. The Turks held a formidable redoubt, and had repulsed attack after attack, but the effect of the aerial torpedoes, which were fired in a similar manner as a howitser shell, was tremendous. "Jack Johnsons" were nothing to be compared with the noise and the damage made by the aerial torpedoes. Huge masses of earth, stones and legs and arms of the Turks were hurled in the air. Private POTTER said "When you were firing from behind one of the iron plates, no sooner had you fired than a volley from the Turkish trenches would play a tune on the plate. Sometimes our boys would hold a shovel above the trenches, and immediately a bullet would hit it. We used to cry out "Wash Out! Jimmy Turk!" and then a laugh would go along the trench. The lads were always ready for a joke, and they died smiling, many of them. We always called them "Jimmy Turk." When we captured any of the Turks, they used to say "Turkey finished. Turkey no fight Engleesh very good; oh! very good!". Both RICHARDSON and POTTER had had the exciting experience of being buried alive in earth owing to the explosion of an Asiatic Annie shell near them, so great was the effect of the explosion. Private RICHARDSON was in the front line of the fighting when Lieut. FORSHAW won the Victoria Cross. He was not in the same section, but the Turks attacked all along the line, and the fighting was very fierce whilst it lasted.
Published in the Reporter 23rd October 1915.
WOUNDED RETURNED ASHTON TERRITORIAL.
Among the local Territorials who are home on furlough is Private WILLIAM HARROTT, of 1, Higher Wharf Street, Ashton. He was wounded while serving on the Gallipoli Peninsula on August 7th. A shrapnel shell burst in the trench, and HARROTT was struck on the left knee. Some bullets and pieces of the shell were embedded in the flesh. For several weeks he has been in a military hospital at Epsom, and reached Ashton late on Monday night. He joined the 9th Manchester Regiment (Ashton Territorials) six months before war broke out. He was formerly employed at the Minerva Mill, Ashton.
Published in the Reporter 23rd October 1915.
THREE BROTHERS.
Another batch of local Territorials have returned home on sick leave. They include Private ALFRED ATHERTON, Duncan Street, Ashton, Private B. BRADSHAW, of Droylsden, and Drummer ASHWORTH, of Dukinfield, all of the 1/9th Manchester Regiment. They reached England on Thursday week, and Private ATHERTON left for Birmingham, and spent the night there in Friday, reaching his home at Ashton on Saturday on his 19th birthday. He has two brothers in the same battalion. Private JAMES ATHERTON, the eldest, got wounded some weeks ago, a shrapnel bullet hitting him in the neck, and Private SAMUEL ATHERTON, the next in point of age, is still at the Dardanelles with the "Gallant Ninth." They all went out in September last, and in May proceeded to the Dardanelles war zone. Here they had a rough time, and were engaged in some of the fiercest fighting. "The worst fighting I saw was on June 4th," said Private ALFRED ATHERTON to a Reporter representative, "and I shall never forget it. There was a terrible bombardment by our ships and our artillery. I never heard such an awful noise in my life. After that came the big advance, in which the Ashton Territorials took a good part. C Company went in the charge, and B Company, in which I was, were acting as supports for the men in the firing line. We advanced some 200 or 300 yards, and captured the first line of Turkish trenches. The fighting was very fierce and deadly. You could not see the enemy's line for the smoke. Our guns had blown the Turks trenches and the barbed wire to pieces, and when they saw our men the Turks threw down their arms and ammunition, and ran for all they were worth. Their losses were terrible, and ours were pretty heavy. All along you could see the Turks' dead bodies piled up in heaps in front of our lines. There were a lot of wounded, too, both of theirs and ours, and we could not get to them. General Douglas praised us well for the fight. Captain SUGDEN, my captain, got killed, and Lieut. PARKER, who was my platoon commander, is now laid up with enteric fever in Alexandria. He was in charge of the Company when seized with illness. I was taken ill while in the firing line on June 20th, and I was two days in the trenches, and could not walk. I was trying to get along the communication trench when Colour Sergeant BUCKLEY, my Colour Sergeant, who was acting as Company Sergeant Major, saw me, and he helped me down to the reserve trenches. We had a very busy time on the Peninsula, and we had no chance to rest. We went in the trenches and then when we were relieved went to the dug-outs. Then at night we were digging trenches or making roads, or doing other jobs. You had to sleep as well as you could whenever you got the chance. Of course, you would not be asleep long before you would be awakened by the shells coming whizzing over. But we were a happy, cheerful lot, and the Territorials did their work as well as anybody." Private ATHERTON, who is making good progress towards recovery, is enjoying a six weeks furlough.