11 replies to this topic

[Tim Smith]

With the centenary of the outbreak of WW1 just over a couple of years away, I have embarked on a local history project researching the lives and stories behind the names on the Haslington War Memorial, (near Crewe, Cheshire) with a view to publishing it in a small booklet for local sale, with the proceeds going to the RBL.

I have scanned through the Commonwealth War Grave Commission casualty records, which contains some interesting facts as a starting point and am now ploughing through the genealogical sites and local records, before hitting Kew.

If you can help in any way, with the names below - especially with unit or personal records, or even pictures, I would be very grateful for information.
(Especially about Higgins, who I can't pin down!)

You can PM me or email at tim.smith@sandbachrufc.co.uk
Thank you

A.B. Smn. G.E.Crowson
Pte. W.Allen R.W.F.
Pte. C.D.Bedson L.F.
Lt. J.Bostock Ches. R.
Cpl. C.Bowden Ches R.
Pte. A.E. Brock Ches R.
Pte S.S.Burgess S.G.
Pte J. Cliff Ches R.
Serg. W.Dykes R.W.F.
Pion. G. Gallimore R.F.
Pte C.H.Gibson K.L.R
Pte.W.Higgins Ches R.
Pte. F.Keating S.Lanc.
A.B.Smn. R.Lindop R.N.
Pte. F.Lofkin Ches R.
Pte. W.Luscott Ches R.
Lieut. S.F.Moss R.E.
Pte E.T.Phipps Ches R.
Pte. J.Snelson R.A.M.C.
L.Cp. H.Stripp K.S.L.I.
Spr. S.Twemlow R.E.
Gnr. F.Wilkinson R.F.A.
Pte. E.S.Woolf Devon R.
Gnr. D.Wells CAN F.A

 2011-11-20_11-23-33_76.jpg   83K   0 downloads

[daggers]

Tim
Good luck with your project which you will find rewarding but frustrating.  There are always some mystery men - and women -who refuse to reveal their stories, but newspapers & parish magazines may help.  Don't forget nearby memorials which may already have been explored.  Sometimes the link to the parish/village/community is tenuous - nephews or grandsons of people who once lived locally etc.

It will be worth your while to refresh this thread after the Christmas & New Year break as some would-be helpers may be drowning in wrapping paper rather than reaching for their source material this week.
D

[jdoyle]

good luck with your project.

The only 1 of my family from Haslington who served during WW1 that I'm aware of was Ethel Grace Shepley who was a nurse in Egypt.


Might be teaching you to suck eggs, but the advanced search feature of Google allows you to enter a search term (ie Haslington) and then a domain to search (e.g. cwgc.org).

One Haslington hit that's not on the memorial list is a 1915 casualty :

http://www.cwgc.org/...casualty=682118

[Tim Smith]

Thanks Daggers.

Also many thanks to jdoyle for the heads up on the search (didn't know about the advanced search) - so had not picked up on Pioneer Stubbs.
Do you have any stories/info about Ethel?

Cheers
T

[Promenade]

Tim,

  Have PM'd you a write up of Gibson (by the way he is George Henry Gibson vice CH Gibson - not sure what is on the memorial)

Promenade

[Tim Smith]

Many thanks, have PM'd in response.
CWGC records confirmed initial  'G' - the lettering on the memorial is indistinct - could be either & I hadn't updated my text based on my original notes. DOH!
Thanks again.

[jdoyle]

Tim Smith, on 22 December 2011 - 12:18 AM, said:

Thanks Daggers.

Also many thanks to jdoyle for the heads up on the search (didn't know about the advanced search) - so had not picked up on Pioneer Stubbs.
Do you have any stories/info about Ethel?

Cheers
T

Tim,

sadly no info re Ethel's service other than her medal card.

I had a look for W Higgins. There is a William Higgins with family in the 1901 census in Haslington but a tree on Ancestry has him living to 1962. Other than this, can't see a link to Haslington/Higgins so far.

John

[KevinBattle]

.... and I assume you have these 7 for WW2?
BARNETT        CW  S/125342    -                                                               16/02/1940      RASC                       N.E. OF CHURCH.

BATEMAN           T   2139764     287 FIELD COY                                           12/05/1942      ROYAL ENGINEERS       9. A. 3.

BEVIN              A       1685716     35 SQDN                                                     28/10/1944      RAFVR                     PANEL 215.

CORBETT           H   3133350     156TH BN                                               15/09/1943      PARACHUTE REG'T, A.A.C.     II. A. 37.

HARROP             C   -              -                                                               29/12/1940      CIVILIAN WAR DEAD                

WEBSTER           R   617945       101 SQDN                                                   04/05/1944      ROYAL AIR FORCE            COLL. GRAVE N. 3-6.

WHITTINGHAM  FY 5186410     43RD 2/5TH BN GLO'STERSHIRE REGT    24/06/1944 RECON' CORPS, R.A.C.         PANEL 7.
(Thanks to Geoff's Search Engine, still running for WW2!

[Tim Smith]

Thanks Kevin, I was a little reluctant to post WW2 here!!
At the moment I am concentrating on WW1, but the WW2 names as written on the memorial are:

Sapper  T.  Bateman  Royal Engineers
Lieut. Comdr.  T.  Sims  Hilditch  R.N.V.R.
F/Sergt.  A. P. Price  R.A.F.
Trooper  S. Tapp  43rd reconnaissance Corps
Sergt.  C. W. Barnett  R.A.S.C.
W/O   P. Horrocks  R.A.F
Trooper  F. Y. Whittingham  Reconnaissance Regt.
Sergt.  A. Bevan  R.A.F. (Actually Bevin)
R. Lewis  3rd Officer

...which means there are also CORBETT, HARROP & WEBSTER           who are not on the memorial.

Also I have found 5435 Gnr Samuel Taylor RFA, (1880-1920 and not on the memorial), buried in Haslington Churchyard along with Barnett, Brock & Crowson. I visited today and paid my respects.

Any info on any of these names is gratefully received.

[KevinBattle]

Quote

Thanks Kevin, I was a little reluctant to post WW2 here!!

I know, there are some that would jump in, but you can't really research a War Memorial in isolation for just WW1 without doing the same for WW2.
As it was only 7, I took a gamble that Pals would understand and forbear from complaining, season of goodwill and all.....
Good luck with your research.
Remember that Ancestry will also provide Census, Birth and Marriage records, plus access to Soldiers Died / RN casualties and also the Medal Index Cards... and if you're very lucky there might be Pension or Service Records.
Your library may have a local history section with newspaper archives etc... plus the Churches may have more info.
Have a good Christmas and hope you produce something really worthwhile. You can even post the info on the Rolls of Honour website.
Let us know how you get on.

[tharkin56]

As your proceeds are going to RBL I'll give you all knowledge i have on self-publishing/printing jut PM me

[tharkin56]

Meant to say I'll look up the RAF names for you in the losses of bomber command also claims of the Luftwaffe. Although WW2 probably find this site useful

http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/ if indeed they were in Bomber command

Trevor