Wigan Album

Hello Joy,Those lads are The Manchesters(cap badge)and if your Grandfather was a Wigan lad as was mine in the Manchester Regiment they are most likley the 1/5th (Wigan) Battalion T.F. "terriers" based in Wigan......


On the 4th August 1914, The battalion was at their HQ at Bank Street Chambers, Wigan, ‘A’ to ‘E’ Companies, ‘F’ Company Patricroft, ‘G’ Company, Leigh, ‘H’ Company, Atherton.

As part of the Manchester Brigade, East Lancs Division (under the command of Brigadier General Noel Lee.) The Battalion was in camp at Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough near Rochdale.
On the 10th September 1914 the battalion sailed from Southampton for Egypt on board the Caledonia, arriving at Alexandria on the 25th September. En route the convoy passed the Jullunder Brigade sailing in the opposite direction, which included the 1st Battalion, sailing back from India to go into the line in France. In Egypt the battalion was quartered in the Mustapha Barracks and were kitted out in tropical clothing. By October the battalion was training in the Sidi-Gaber Barracks.
On the 3rd May the battalion embarked and on the 6th May 1915 they landed landed with the 6th Battalion at W and V beaches at Gallipoli,
The battalion moved up to the front line trenches on the 12th May under heavy machine gun and artillery fire, relieved on the 21st, the battalion went back to the beach, which was still under heavy fire. On the 26th May 1915, the formation became part of the 127th Brigade, 42nd Division. The battalion moved back up to the badly flooded front trenches and worked at completing the trench line
4th June 1915, the 42nd and the 29th Division attacked the main line of Turkish trenchs, with the Indian Brigade on the left and the RND on the right. The attack was carried through to the turkish third line ( which was their objective) but with 'terrible casualties' Although the initial attack was a success, the troops were withdrawn to the turkish front line, as the other units had not acheived their objectives. This position was held despite heavy turkish attacks. On the 5th July the battalion went back into the trenches
In January 1916 after the evacuation of Gallipoli, the battalon arrived back in Egypt, where it remained until March 1917 when it was transferred to France
On the 11th November 1918, as part of the 127th Brigade, 42nd Division, the battalion was in France, Hautmont area, S.W. of Maubeuge.

Hope this is of some use Joy.

Joseph Thank you for that information.My grandad died in the 1st world war in October 1918 as a result of injuries that he received.I would love to know what he looked like.He never saw his son who was my dad.Maybe one day he may appear on a photo.I will check his war death record to see what regiment he served in.Anne

Your very welcome Anne.

Hi Joseph
Thank you for all the info, we now know at least which regiment the badge belonged to and all the info about where the regiment was posted to was very interesting.
I will go to the history shop to see if they have any info about the regiment and to see if they have any names of any men in the [terriers}wigan battalion 1914 or any deaths, may be a wild goose chase but nothing ventured nothing gained.
Thanks again Joy

Your welcome Joy. I have two Calderbanks from the 1/5Bn Manchesters.

1638 Private Tom Calderbank age 21 died 4.11.1915 son of the late Edward Thomas and Mary Calderbank(no address sorry)Buried at Helles cemetery Turkey.

2621 Private J.Calderbank(no age) died 28.9.1915 Buried at Pieta Military Cemetery Malta.From the spring of 1915, the hospitals and convalescent depots established on the islands of Malta and Gozo dealt with over 135,000 sick and wounded, chiefly from the campaigns in Gallipoli and Salonika.

Hope they are of some use Joy,its a wild shot but you never know.If you have the names of the men your after look on the CWGC site,then you will be able to look for them yourself,good luck.

Joseph Thankyou very much for the info , we do have a Thomas and also a John.i will check the ages and toms father.i shall have a look at the cwgc site didnt know about that one
thanks Joy

Your welcome again Joy.

To JOY. Did you go to the History Shop. Please let me know if you found a list of the men's names as I believe my grandad served in this war when he lived in Wigan. I live in Doncaster myself and have been to the History Shop on a few occasions. If they do have lists of soldiers names, please let me know so that I can arrange another visit.
Thanks. Heather

Joy

Is there anything written on the back of the picture. I'm a serving soldier and my family served in the Great War in a variety of Corps and Regiments including the Manchesters. Most of my family lived in Pemberton and worked in the mines.

There are 16 to 17 men in your picture. In WW1 the basic building block of any regiment was a section. In WW1 a section consisted of 16 men. 14 private soldiers and two Cpl's. The section was led by a sergeant. Each Platoon had three or four sections depending if they had a pioneer section with them.

In the centre of your picture a man holds a 'Pace stick/ Drill cane'. he has no stripes but has two white marks on his lower sleeves. This may denote that he's a SNCO (a sergeant, Colour Sgt or Warrant Officer). The man immediately to his left (our right) is older than the rest so is either a Sgt or a full Corporal (two stripes). The man to his right is wearing one stripe, he's a Lance Corporal or as we call it, a lance jack.

Corporal's were older than the men. They were heavily relied upon to lead the men in times of conflict. You usually earned your stripes by showing leadership skills and showing intelligence. It was also a bonus if you could beat the living daylights out of anyone who crossed you to instil respect and fear into the soldiers you lead. The rank was usually given to men in their late twenties/early thirties. By this age the young lads looked up to you respected you because of your age and knowledge and knew you could give them a good hiding if necessary. in some respects a suragate father.

If you need anymore info you can email me.

Ginge

I too have a photo of soldiers in the 5th Manchester.reg I assume they were all wigan kids one of the soldiers was an ancestor of mine probably by the name of Robert Pendlebury I have already uploaded this photo on twigan world! any info would be gratefully received.