Tag Archives: Green Howards

Wakefield Express WW1 – J W Mann, East Ardsley

J W Mann, East Ardsley found in the Wakefield Express

In the recent months I have gathered quite a few photocopies of sections of the Wakefield Express for periods during WW1.  I have extracted the information I needed but there are still little snippets of information surplus to my requirements, but could be of interest to others.

Here goes with the first snippet:-

EAST ARDSLEY SOLDIER KILLED – Information has been received that Private J W Mann, of the Green Howards, who formerly lived with his parents at Bradford Road, East Ardsley, and who had been previously reported as missing since Aug. 21st 1915, was killed on that date. Deceased who was 21 years of age, enlisted soon after the outbreak of the war.  He was an engine cleaner at the G.N.R. shed at East Ardsley.  He was a good worker in the Weslyan Sunday School, and at the time of his  enlistment he was Secretary of the Hope of Thorpe Juvenile Temp(?), Independent Order of Rechabites. His father, Lance-Corporal C H Mann is now serving in France.

Wakefield Express 10 February 1917

Not a lot to go on, but I know which regiment he served with, where he lived and worked and who his father was.  I also know where his religious leanings were.

Where to look first, to me there seems be a couple of places, but which one to search first? Commonwealth War Graves Commission – not many to chose from, but his entry may only have his initials. It may not parental information listed.  He could be entered under another regiment (if he was transferred) – retreat and recover!  Looks like the 1911 census is next for a visit.

Here he is!  Joseph William Mann, the son of Charles Henry Mann and his wife Mary Jane Hornsey, whom he married in the autumn of 1894, their marriage taking place within the York Registration District.  Their first two children, our Joseph and his sister Dorothy were born in York in 1896 and 1900 respectively. Their third child, Doris was born in Carr Gate in 1905. Charles, born in York, worked as a house painter.  Mary, one year her husband junior, was born in Newcastle. The census form has the family living at 2 Binks Buildings, east Ardsley.

Now we are on first name terms with Joseph, I stand a better chance of finding him in the CWGC  – there are two Joseph William Manns, both are Private’s, but here they differ.  One is aged 35 and the other is 20 – the 20 year old seems to fit the bill with our Joseph being 15 in the 1911 census.  Now we have access to his service number.

Helles Memorial, CWGC

Helles Memorial, CWGC

Joseph Mann, born in York, enlisted in Leeds. He served in the Yorkshire Regiment or Yorkshire Hussars (Queen Alexandra, Princes of Wales’ own) 6th Batt., as Private 10567.  Joseph was sent to the Balkans and it was there on the 21st of August 1915 that he was Killed in Action.  Back to the CWGC entry for Joseph and we find that he is remembered on the Helles Memorial, panel 55-58.  Additional information for Joseph, gives his parents and their address of 22 Gordon Street, Heslington Road, York – looks like they moved back to were Charles and two of his children were born – after Joseph’s death but before the details were collected for the CWGC.

The Register of Soldier’s Effects gives information we already know and  a little more – The entry tells that he was in the M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force), entering the Balkans on 14th July 1915.  His date of death is given, 21st August, 1915, with the following note:- Death pres? His parents are again listed as being granted his monies in 1919.

St cuthbert's War Memorial.  http://yorkandthegreatwar.com

St cuthbert’s War Memorial. http://yorkandthegreatwar.com

Although, Joseph had lived in the village of East Ardsley, he is not remembered on the village memorial.  He is however, mentioned in The King’s Book of Yorkshire Hero’s, held in a locked case in York Minster, and St Cuthbert’s War Memorial.

A little more information has now been added to that in the newspaper regarding Joseph, but what happened to Charles, his father.  Well, as he is mentioned in his sons entry in the CWGC and not entered as ‘the late Charles………..’ I feel it is safe to say he came home to his family.  There is a possible death entry for him in the September Quarter of 1953 in York.

Morayshire man to get memorial 100 years after his death

 After seeing a link to an online version of the Press and Journal, a Scottish newspaper, I was very interested, as the young man concerned was from the same village as my grandad – Dallas, Morayshire.

Anderson, William V.C.

Anderson, William V.C.

William Anderson was born in 1885 in Dallas, but by 1891, the family consisting of Alexander and Bella, the parents, plus children, James, Maggie, William and Alexander, living at 79 North Road. Alexander snr., worked as a labourer to keep a roof over his family’s head.

He went to Glasgow and was employed as a car conductor with the Corporation Tramways for several years before moving  to Newcastle upon Tyne where an elder brother of the family was serving with the Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own) and enlisted in the same battalion in 1905, serving in it for a period of seven years in Egypt and India. After his service expired William returned to Glasgow and was employed in the Elder Hospital in Govan. He had been there only for a year before deciding to emigrate to South Africa. However, before he could leave war broke out and he was called up as a reservist and went to the front in France with the British Expeditionary Force.

Our soldier, William Anderson, served in the 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.  He served as Corporal, 8191.

An extract from “The London Gazette”, dated 21st May, 1915, records the following: “For most conspicuous bravery at Neuve-Chapelle on 12th March, 1915, when he led three men with bombs against a large party of the enemy who had entered our trenches, and by his prompt and determined action saved, what might otherwise have become, a serious situation. Cpl. Anderson first threw his own bombs, then those in possession of his three men (who had been wounded) amongst the Germans, after which he opened rapid rifle fire upon them with great effect, notwithstanding that he was at the time quite alone”.

William’s commanding officer wrote him up for his Victoria Cross – he had died within less than 24 hours, his Soldier’s Effects record states ‘on or since 13.3.15’.  The document also mentions his sister, Mrs Margaret Ingram and his brother Alexander, who would receive monies owed to William.  Various payments had been made to his siblings covering the period 10 May 1916 to 2 December 1919.

Anderson, William V.C., Corporal 8191, has no known grave and is therefore, remembered on the Le Touret Memorial, along with over 13400 other men whose final resting place is known only unto their God.

The Memorial commemorates, as I have said, over 13,400 British soldiers who were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September the following year – 1915.

Extracted from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission “Almost all of the men commemorated on the Memorial served with regular or territorial regiments from across the United Kingdom and were killed in actions that took place along a section of the front line that stretched from Estaires in the north to Grenay in the south. This part of the Western Front was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the first year of the war, including the battles of La Bassée (10 October – 2 November 1914), Neuve Chapelle (10 – 12 March 1915), Aubers Ridge (9 – 10 May 1915), and Festubert (15 – 25 May 1915). Soldiers serving with Indian and Canadian units who were killed in this sector in 1914 and ’15 whose remains were never identified are commemorated on the Neuve Chapelle and Vimy memorials, while those who fell during the northern pincer attack at the Battle of Aubers Ridge are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial”.

Commonwealth War Graves certificate

Commonwealth War Graves certificate

To read the continuing story of William and his V.C. visit the Press and Journal’s website 

For information on other men from the Yorkshire Regiment you might find this of interest.