34 replies to this topic

[DaveR]

A group in our Family History Society is applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding with the research of the St. Helens Pals, 11th South Lancs. (St. Helens Pioneers). Our aim is to research this, our local battalion and produce a book telling their story. The emphasis will be on the men and their story, not an analysis of tactics, etc. We will also be transcribing the battalion War Diary and the Medal Rolls for the Regiment. These will be made freely available via the web at the end of the project. We already have volunteers for various parts of the project but need volunteers to transcribe the Medal Rolls. The transcription will be done via the web so all you need is access to a browser. We have been advised that it will help our application if we can show response to this appeal. Everyone who helps will get a free copy of the book at the end of the project.

[slmgc]

Hi Dave, sign me up.
What do you need from me.
Cheers,
Ste

[DaveR]

Ste,
many thanks. If we are successful we'll being stteing up the transcription website in Sept and I'll get back to you.
Thanks again.
Dave

[Stephen Nulty]

Dave

Count me in

[Graeme Clarke]

Hi

Ditto

Graeme

[DaveR]

Just bringing this back up again in the hope of more volunteers.

[Jonathan_nw]

Dave

It would be a pleasure to help out. What do you need me to do?

Jonathan

[Mark Abbott]

Happy to help.  

Mark

[DaveR]

Thanks to everyone. If you PM me your email or just email me, I will explain what's happening and keep you updated.
Dave

[pearce]

Dave

happy to help if i can

Rob

DaveR, on 27 April 2011 - 07:42 AM, said:

Thanks to everyone. If you PM me your email or just email me, I will explain what's happening and keep you updated.
Dave

[npm]

Dave, Am I too late?  Happy to help - will pm you

[DaveR]

Hi All,

just to let you know that we have been successful in getting the Lottery grant and the project is starting. I will be in touch with you all via email as soon as it's possible to start transcribing the Medal Rolls; our first job, so we have as complete as possible a list of men to work with.

If anyone else would like to help please let me know. The eventual aim is to have a book, telling the Bn story, ready for distributing (free of charge) to all who participate in time for the 2014 Remembrance Service at St Helens Cenotaph.

[npm]

DaveR, on 08 November 2011 - 09:15 AM, said:

just to let you know that we have been successful in getting the Lottery grant and the project is starting.

Congratulations Dave!

[Charles Fair]

Dave - congratulations its now official.
Charles

[slmgc]

Good write up in the Star (St.Helens), all coming together nicely.
Good luck.
Ste

[judithb]

Got a couple of photos of 11th South Lancs, which I can scan and send to you. The project sounds excellent, and if I can help in any way I can, I will.

Soldier

[DaveR]

Ste,
thanks.

judithb,
if you pm me your email i'll keep you posted.

[11th Bn South Lancs]

I am new to the forum, and joined to share, and to further understand the military life of a much-rememberedancestor - Frederick William Pendlebury. He is my father's namesake and my sons also. I hope this information is off some assistance, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your efforts, endeavors, and work.

I offer this as an oral tradition, remembered from conversations of times past, and conversations that are more recent. I also offer some supporting research, and information taken from this site. Again, I hope this gives some light to others, who had family members in the 11th Bn, SLR, which fell or participated in the last German offensive, in and around St. Quentin, on March 21st / 22nd 1918.

These conversations are remembered from his brothers, both of whom served, and both of whom survived. I have done little research on them, but hope too in the future with the help of this forum. His brothers Harold (Field Artillery), and Les Pendlebury (Lancashire ??.) My Grandfather was not of age to serve in the Great War, but did serve during the Irish troubles in the 1920s. Of the four sons from that generation of my family, only my grandfather, the youngest of them, had issue.



Lance Sergeant. Frederick William Pendlebury- 20043 - A Coy, 11th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment, 30th Division,Fifth Army.

Frederick was working at Pilkington's Glass works when War was announced. Heworked within the sheet glass factory, and had been working there for twoy ears. He was also a pianist, and played regularly at Church. He was a devout Anglican, and being the oldest child, was very much admired by his brothers, and sisters - all of whom spoke about him with tones of deep respect, and loss.

He joined up in the City of St. Helens within days of the call for volunteerswith several of his friends from Pilk's, and other friends that lived on hisstreet. He was issued a number - 20043, and little more than that on his firstday. He joined without the permission of his father or mother, but there was afeeling of pride within the house in Sutton, at that time - his brothers recalled. He was 21 years old at the time he joined.

He served with the 11th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment during his entiretime of service, and sent money home. He always managed to send a little moneyhome.

I wish I could offer more along the lines of his service in France. I do knowthat he, and some friends got leave, and he played piano on more than on occasionduring those times. He did make it to Paris twice. I also remember his brotherstelling me that he had "been through a lot." It struck me then, but Iknow more now, what they meant by that, and typical of Lancashire under-statement I suppose.

  



March 21 -  29th 1918.

The circumstances surrounding his last days are well recorded orally. Hisbrothers did manage to get passes to a Red Cross Hospital separately andbriefly, to be with him at that time. I do not know how they were made aware ofhis injuries, or how they managed to obtain passes during that chaotic,critical period, but both did see him in Rouen.

He had been assigned to do repair work on trenches behind the British lines infront of St. Quentin, in what was a French section. They where also doingcarpentry work in dugouts, and some kind of hand 'railway" work for the Artilleryaround a place called Savvy Woods.

On the morning of the 21^st (Friday0 there was a very sudden but veryheavy barrage that came over just as everyone getting up and ready for a typical day, that lasted for hour or longer. It was a cold, damp morning; theyhad not yet made Tea or had breakfast. The shells were 'landing all about' theywere 'everywhere.' He and several of his 'mates' were caught in several'bursts,' but none of them where hit by shrapnel, and other than a ringing inhis ears, he felt fine. Soon, but not immediately, others in their general areabegan to vomit. He did not think much of it at first, but he and the others did get gas masks on. The barrage did not last long, he said, 'they had been plasteredfar worse' to Harold a few days later. The barrage carried behind them, makinga mess of what they had been working on. They thought that they had missed theworst of it, with only a stray shell falling among them, while the noise in frontof them started to build. A few of his men were already making their way back to a clearing station in Ham, and others started drifting from the front linesfrom other regiments through their area. He learned that they had lost a few inhis company on their right.

  

A few hours after the initial barrage hadstarted, he, and several of the men began to vomit also, some began to feel tightnessin the chest, and a burning sensation about them. They where told to get to adressing station while they could.

  

They where making their way on foot to Ham,when another barrage fell around them. One of his friends was hit by shrapnel (donot recall his name) and had to be carried the rest of the way. His friendlater died at the medical station. There were many people already at thestation when they arrived, they were very busy, but not panicked and thingswhere orderly. There where a lot of 'Lorries' carrying people away, and he, andhis 'mates' where put into two of them, and sent toward Albert.

  

Several of them where separated at a trainstation, and by late evening he was at the Red Cross Hospital in Rouen. He didnot say much about the journey on rail, and slept much of the way. It was not untillater that night that he began feeling the effects of gas, but was otherwise cheerful,and comfortable.

  

His younger brother, Harold (FieldArtillery,) went to see him on Monday, March 24^th. Harold spent theday with him, but had to return to his unit the same day. Harold said that hewas fine when he left, and that his nurse thought that he would recuperate, andbe returned to England within a day or so. His condition was bad, but he wastalking, and sitting upright. Harold got the sense that he would make it home.Harold also saw several others, friends of both of them, that where in the 11th.

  

Les arrived on Thursday, the 28^th.He recalled him being very sick, and in dreadful pain. He said it was very hardto look at him, and that even the slightest movement for him was a painfuleffort. He had several large blisters, and could not breathe.  

  

It was a memory that stayed with Les, and Igot the sense that he had terrible guilt for leaving his brother in thatcondition. Les also had to return to his unit that day, but I remember himbeing very sad when telling me.

  

Frederick died the Morning of the 29^thMarch, Good Friday. He is interred at St. Sevier Military Cemetery Extension, Rouen,France. His brothers, including my grandfather went to the grave several timesduring the remainder of their lives. I hope, one day to visit the same.

  

CWGC Casualty link.

http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/520074/PENDLEBURY,%20FREDERICK



Medal Card shows awarded – 1915 Star, British,Victory. Entered theatre Nov 6^th 1915. France.

Rank L.C/ol, below it a Cpe with an X with anda dot in all the v's of the X. The D of W 29/3/18

If anyone has any further information on him, I would be appreciative of hearing about it.

I am also looking for information on Harold Pendlebury - Royal Field Artillery, and A. Leslie Pendlebury a Lancshire soldier. Also, Richard Simms, my maternal grandfather, a Lancashire soldier that served in Mesopotamia and France.

Again, many, many thanks to all 'That Remember' and dedicate their time to this noble and good forum.

[npm]

Hi 'son of Frederick' (you didn't leave your name) and welcome to GWF

Many thanks for this moving report - it gives me much needed information on the operation in which my great grandfather was injured.  Here is a photograph of Rouen hospital with some men of the 11th Sth Lancs (I think).

http://1914-1918.inv...showtopic=89186

[11th Bn South Lancs]

npm, on 26 February 2012 - 12:51 PM, said:

Hi 'son of Frederick' (you didn't leave your name) and welcome to GWF

Many thanks for this moving report - it gives me much needed information on the operation in which my great grandfather was injured.  Here is a photograph of Rouen hospital with some men of the 11th Sth Lancs (I think).

http://1914-1918.inv...showtopic=89186

Thank you so much for the posting of the picture. Amazing. To think, that our relatives more than likely knew one another in that dreadful place. To see a face, that he would more than likely have seen, if not served under is truly wonderful.


Again, thank you,

David-Ian Pendlebury

[DaveR]

Hi All,

just to let you know that the project is well under way and transcription of the SLR medal rolls has begun.

If anyone else would like to help please let me know. I need your name and email address. The eventual aim is to have a book, telling the Bn story, ready for distributing (free of charge) to all who participate in time for the 2014 Remembrance Service at St Helens Cenotaph. Also, all transcribed material such as the War Diary and the Medal Rolls will be made freely available online.

cheers
Dave

[Charles Fair]

Dave, that's great news.  I have started photographing the officers service records at TNA.  I have also finished going through 30 Div A&Q War Diary and found a lot more info to do with the Battalion e.g. postings of officers to/from the battalion, strength/casualties etc.
Regards
Charles

[Chris_Baker]

Congratulations on obtaining the grant, Dave. I look forward to seeing the fruits of the team's work.

[DaveR]

Hi All,

quick update. Transcription of the South Lancs Medal Rolls is going well, with over 40% of the pages done, resulting in more than 22,000 entries so far. We're still looking for volunteers, so if anyone is interested they can see what's involved by having a look at this video

cheers
Dave

[Charles Fair]

_{Dave - thats terrific progress.  Sounds like you are on track for 2014.
Charles}