Wigan Album

Mick.
5th Battn. Manchester Regiment suffered many casualities twelve month after this photo was taken in the Gallipoli campaign, during the first world war.The 5th Battn. was mainly a Wigan and district volunteer Battn.(pals Battn.) so many households and families in the Wigan area suffered deaths and casualities because the volunteers all came from the one area.

In retrospect, a very sad photograph. All those wasted lives.

does anyone know if there are any records of the men who died? do you think there are any in the history shop at wigan. Ibelive one of my relations was in the Manchester reg i have a photo it is on Album under Wigan Soilders.

My grandad died in 1955, 14 years before my birth. our family know almost nothing about him. he never spoke about his time in WW1. Ive obtained his marraige cert 1917 occupation Private 5th Manchesters addresss Heaton Park Camp. Then used as a hospital. My late uncle;s birth cert sept 1918 shows occupation private Army Veterinary Corps. I dont fully understand.

hi Nick
you dont say who your grandad was.

They're not marching - at least, not in step.... What you appear to have in the front ranks is the band - the big drum being carried between two men in the third rank, and you can see drum sticks and bugles in men's hands.

My great Uncle Thomas Dean was in the 5th Manchesters. He was killed in action 07/08/1915 at gallipoli. He is remembered in the Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery in Turkey. He was just a kid. 17yrs of age.

My father,John Matthew Davies joined the 5th. Manchester in 1914 at the age of 17...He was slightly wounded at the landing at Suvla Bay.and in 1917 he was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in rescuing officers under heavy fire at Ypres.He was a stretcher bearer...I never knew how brave he was because like many others he never told me about the bad times,,, only the funny bits...

my grandad was unfortunatley called john smith. he always signed his name jhon, i have seen his origional signature. researching john smith is painstaking, i found an attestation from 1914 with an identical signature of "jhon" but he was discharged as "not likley to make agood soldier" after 5 weeks. i can only assume he re applied later on, and passed. any advice about the 5th manchesters, heaton park camp or the veterinary corps, please help

My granddad, Quarter Master Regimental Sergeant Major Henry Christy was in the 5th Manchesters and my memory of him was as a happy 4 year old sitting on his knee and wondering why his false leg made a knocking sound. He served in Galipoli, in the Boer War, in France and I am proud to have his 7 dress medals ne of which is the DCM and another MBE. I am trying to find out about the time when the regiment was in Passchendale and my granddad was wounded in 1917. Any information would be apprecated. Thanks

my Grandad William Dunn was member of the 5th Manchesters I believe he lived in Pemberton.He was wounded in the leg ,by a grenade .He died in 1950's in Rochdale I am told from one of his sons that he was treasurer of the British Legion in Wigan .He was known as Bugler Bill.Does anyone know of the Dunn family who lived at Douglas St.I would appreciate any info'.Thank you!

I believe one of my ancestors could have been one of the 5th Manchesters possibly by the name of Pendlebury they were N.C.O's A company. There is a photo relating to this on Wigan World, any comments or info would be appreciated.

To each of the recipiants:
The image is of the 1/5th Battalion Machester Regt. The men at the front are the Battalion band. These men would have been the stretcher bearer, bring men into the aid stations when the men were injured. At Gallipoli, they carried men for roughly three miles.

Thomas Dean (Ser No 1933). Traveled to Egypt with the battalion. Arrived in Gallipoli on the 6th May 1915. Lived at 63 School Lane Wigan. He was employed by the Wigan Coal & Iron Company. He was listed as missing on 7th August 1915. This was the second attack on the Turkish lines. This occured in an area called the Vine yard. It was hotly contested by both sides. There are newspaper cuttings avaiblable: Wigan Observer 11th September 1915 pg5. Photograph is also available.

John Matthew Davies - served with 11th Manchester Battalion. One of the K1 Battalions. Arrived in Sulva Bay 06 August 1915

RQMs William Henry Christy (Ser No: 435, 1917 Ser No:200034). Served as a Company Quarter Master. Promoted to Regt QMS. Employed as an Engine driver with the Great Central Railway. Left Gallipoli through sickness (possibly dysentry). Went to Mustapha camp in Alexandria. Awarded the DCM for valour. Reported wounded in the Wigan Observer on 20th October 1917. Photograph available.

Thank you for the information re William Henry Christy, my granddad. I didn't realise that he'd left Gallipoli due to dysentry. I did know that he was at Paschendale. We found the grave of Sergeant Major Cush who was killed I presume at the same time as my granddad was wounded and for which he was awarded the medal for gallantry. I don't know the details. It was extremely moving to see Sergeant Major Cush' grave and very sobering to think that my granddad could have been there too. Thank you again