Saturday 10 November 2012

Remembrance Special ~ 11th November 1916

Read all about it…… Echoes of our past NEWS

What was in the local news this weekend in 1916?

 

WAR NEWS

 
*The British Front -
The heavy rain of the past week has caused difficulties in the British operations.  However, during Monday night the British improved their position East of the Butte de Warlencourt, the last ridge before Bapaume. 
Between Gommecourt and Serre, North of Anore the British were sucessfull in taking the enemy trenches.  Prisoners were taken and their were many casualties.
At Thiepval an attempted raid on our trenches by the Germans was repulsed.
*Total gains -
On the Somme Front from July 1st to November 1st 1916 the following figures were reported -
71,532 German Soldiers
1,449 Officers
173 Field Guns
130 Heavy Guns
214 Trench Mortars
961 Machine Guns
 
*German Dreadnoughts hit -
The Commander of a British Submarine claims to have hit two German Dreadnought's of the Kaiser clan.  The approximate cost of these ships was £2,400.00.
 
*Local lives lost -
Private Edward Hyson of Shirebrook was killed on September 15th whilst serving with the Leicesters.  Edward was the son of Mrs Breakwell of 35 Vernon Street, Shirebrook.  He enlisted in August 1914 and had worked at Langwith Colliery prior to the war.  Edward was only 20 years old.
Private James Betts also of Shirebrook, son of Mrs Abel of 42 Morris Street, Shirebrook.  James enlisted at the young age of 15 years old at the outbreak of the war.  He was discharged on medical grounds in the following November.  Wanting to serve his country, James re-enlisted only a few months later, but was again found to be unfit for action by the Medical Board.  Not one to be beat, James was eventually enlisted by the Lincolns and after training served in France.  He was wounded in the thigh earlier this year and died of gun shot wounds to the knee.  Prior to enlisting James worked at Warsop Main Colliery.
Gunner T P Smith of Wingerworth was serving with the Royal Field Artillery when he was killed in action of the Western Front.  He was 23 years old and prior to the war was employed at Park House Colliery.  His parents Mr and Mrs Edward Smith live at New Cottages, Nethermoor, Wingerworth, he was their eldest son.  A memorial service has been taken at the Wingerworth Parish Church.
Private Roger Ryan of the West Yorkshire Regiment has been killed by a direct hit from a shell, which hit him and another soldier whilst on duty in the trenches.  Roger was an orderly and was working taking messages to the Brigade Headquarters on the day of his death, 25th September 1916.  He was 25 years old and the second son of Mr and Mrs t Ryan of 19 Riber Terrace, Boythorpe.  Roger had joined the army nearly four years ago and was amongst the first to arrive in France.  He had been lucky prior to this final tragedy and had only received one other injury; a gun shot wound in one of his fingers to his right hand.
Sergeant Alex Carlile of New Whittington was serving with the Sherwood Foresters.  News of his death was passed via the Chaplain after another soldier named Broderick had been with Alex at his death.  Broderick had removed Alex's personal possessions including photo's and letters and asked that they be passed on to the family of Sergeant Carlile.  Alex was killed along with four other men after a shell exploded near to them.  Before the war Alex was employed at Grassmoor Colliery and joined the Sherwood Foresters in November 1914.  Sad news greeted Alex on his last leave home in July, when he found that his wife who had been ill for sometime had passed away.  Alex was a keen football fan and was a popular player for the Old Whittington Mutuals Club.
 
*Wounded men -
Private J W Brown, son of Mrs A Stretton of 58 Prospect Road, Old Whittington has been wounded in France and is now hospitalised in Oldham.  Private Brown had joined the Notts and Derbyshire Regiment at the end of 1914.  He had served ten months in Egypt before being transferred to France, where he had been for the past five months.  Aged 25 years old Private Brown worked for Messrs Green Timber Works prior to enlistment.
Corporal F Carlile has been wounded and is now recuperating at Boulogne Hospital.  Carlile had lived with his parents at Newbridge Lane, Old Whittington.  He served with the Sherwood Foresters at the landing of Suvla Bay and remained there until they evacuated.  From there he went to Egypt and lastly in France.
Corporal Lawrence Martin of the Sherwood Foresters has been wounded for the second time in his military service.  Firstly Lawrence was wounded at Gallipoli and was forced to return to England, taking rest at Cambridge Hospital.  This time he has been wounded in the thigh and is recuperating at Edmonton Military Hospital, London.  Prior to the war he was employed at Grassmoor Colliery.  The son of Mrs Martin of Prospect Street, Stonegravels.
Private Herbert Pearson aged 26 years of the Sherwood Foresters has been severely injured after receiving gun shot wounds to the head.  His father Mr H Pearson received a telegram telling that Herbert was dangerously ill at 22 General Hospital, Camiers.  The telegraph also stated the the War Office regretted that visiting would not be permitted.  Herbert had seen bitter fighting as he had been serving in France since February of 1915.  He had previously worked as a miner at Williamthorpe Colliery.  His brother Alfred is serving with the Yorkshire Light Infantry and left for France last Sunday.
Private Henry Hopkinson of Main Road Grassmoor has been wounded for the second time.  Henry sent a letter to Mr and Mrs Wm Ellis whom Henry lived with prior to the war.  In it he wrote that he and ten other men had been close to a shell which burst.  It killed five and wounded the other five men.  The explosion necessitated that Henry have shrapnel removed from his right arm and he was waiting to have muscle removed from his left arm.  He also thought there was some shrapnel in his left knee.  Prior to the war Henry worked as a loader in the Tupton Seam at Grassmoor Colliery. 
*Honours and medals -
Private James Smith of the Sherwood Foresters has been awarded the Military Medal for distinguished conduct in the field.  James is 27 years of age and worked as a miner at Clay Cross No9 Avenue Pit.  He lodged with Mr and Mrs W Butler at Knighton Street, Hepthorne Lane, North Wingfield.  He joined up soon after hostilities began and has seen active service at Suvla Bay, Egypt and France.  The news was heard from James in a letter to his brother Joe, but how he gained the honourable medal is not known. 
Private J Butcher received a certificate from Major General C Ross, stating that he had distinguished himself near Ginchy on 15th and 16th September "by conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty by carrying dispatches under heavy fire".  Private Butcher is the only son of Mr and Mrs H Butcher of Dover Street, Creswell.  He is at present in hospital in southern England after having had his left leg amputated as result of the wounds he sustained whilst serving.  He enlisted soon after his 18th birthday and had been stationed in France since January 1915, seeing action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and Loos.
Bombardier George Pickering another Creswell man has received the Military Medal.  George is serving with the Royal Field Artillery.  He was awarded the medal on 27th October for services on 26th September on the Somme.  Back home George is married with one child and worked at Creswell Colliery.

 

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