History of Wigan   (Help with ancient and recent history.)

To all

I am writing a book on the 1/5th Manchester Battallion. To help write the book I've gathered as many resources as possible. Some of these are primary sources and some are secondary. The purpose of the book is to:

a) Create a database containing details of any men that served with the 1/5th Battalion during the war. The details will help to construct a service record and a backstory for each individual. If possible, and available, a photo of each soldier is added and the company they served with is listed. The details of the men are gathered from the various WW1 resources available, from online geneology sites, newspaper articles and the national archives. This is to give the men a face and a voice.
This has now been completed and stands at 2775 men in total. To assist identifying enlistment dates with service numbers a War Gratuity calculator has been created.

b) Write a definitive account that details the movements and the experiences of the battalion throughout the war, from both the ground up and top down. Highlighting key points in the main battles and identifying casualties, both KIA and the wounded. The wounded will be traced and thier eventual outcome stated. (Disabled, lightly wounded etc). Other units have had similar treatment but as an ex serviceman I intend to explain how men cope, before, during and after a battle, explain how battle shapes a unit, but also explain the tactical and strategic elements that answers the 'Why attack here or there'.

c) Challange the comments made by 'armchair' historians claims that the Manchester Regiment was not an effective fighting force and its men where "Scared of the dark".

d) Discuss the social impact the war had on Wigan an its local economy. List the number of widows left with children,discuss the social effect this had on the local community. Describe how the families were looked after and how they coped with the loss of a family member. It will also analyse how many men from each trade where lost and how the loss impacted on manufacturing. Did it have any bearing on the strikes, closures of mines and the rise in the suffragete movement?

e) Highlight the fact that, bar a few organisations, 'Gallipoli Day' has been largely forgotten by the local comunity and the country and more should be done to preserve its memory.

f) Once the book is published, a copy will be domated to the Wigan & Leigh Archive, The Manchester Regimental Museum and the Gallipoli Association.

The database is constantly being updated and added to. If anyone wants someone or something checking, feel free to ask. If anyone has a story they want clarifying or including, please feel free to contact me.