Loughborough Echo

Stories of the fallen

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THROUGHOUT the centenary of the First World War, we have been rememberin­g the soldiers from the Loughborou­gh area who lost their lives while serving their country. Here, with the help of Marigold Cleeve and a small number of researcher­s from the Loughborou­gh Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum, we look back at more of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in June 1917.

George Walter Hemstock

George Walter Hemstock was born in Loughborou­gh in 1894 and baptised on 9th May 1894 at Emmanuel Church.

He was the second son of George Hemstock and Ada Holwell Hemstock (née Wye) who were married at St. Mary’s Church, Wymeswold, on 10th June 1890.

George Junior had three brothers John, Arthur and Charles and two sisters Ada and Ellen. Two other brothers Alfred and Frank died young. George Junior’s father was a milk seller and the family lived in Bedford Street, Loughborou­gh, firstly at No. 7 and then at No, 22.

In 1911 George Junior was an office boy for Herbert Morris Ltd, lifting gear manufactur­ers, at the Empress Works in Moor Lane, Loughborou­gh. He also worked at Beeston, Nottingham­shire, and later for a London firm.

He was a member of the Emmanuel Church choir and the Church Lads Brigade.

In January 1916 he enlisted in Fulham, London and joined 1/6th Battalion (City of London Rifles) of the London Regiment, a Territoria­l Force.

The London Regiment was the largest infantry regiment in the army with 26 battalions in peacetime, eventually increasing to 88 battalions over the course of the First World War.

It was also the only regiment in the army that did not have a regimental badge - each battalion having its own individual cap badge.

The 1/6th Battalion had its headquarte­rs in the Farringdon Road, EC1, and was nicknamed as ‘The Cast Iron Sixth’.

George became Rifleman 322331.

The date on which he was sent to France is unknown as his service papers have not survived but it is likely to have been toward the end of 1916 as in the autumn of 1916 George married Ada Henson, a hosiery factory worker, in Loughborou­gh.

On 28th November 1916 the 1/6th Battalion received a draft of reinforcem­ents while they were at Scottish Wood Camp, south-west of Ypres, and another on 24th December. (Scottish Wood Camp was used as a rest and training area between Dickenbusc­h and the front line area at Vormezeele.)

A further draft of men arrived in March 1917. George could have been in any of these drafts.

On 8th December. 1916, the battalion went into the front line trenches at the Bluff, Zillebeke, where they experience­d machine gun fire and sniping from the enemy as well as enemy aircraft surveillan­ce.

They moved to the support trenches on 21st December and provided working parties for draining, clearing and repairing the trenches.

Relieved on 28th December the battalion marched to Ypres Station and entrained for Dominion Camp, proceeding to Scottish Camp on the 29th..

The battalion returned to the support trenches at Hill 60 before moving to the front line on January 14th.

Breaks followed at Halifax and Scottish Camps, and at Dickenbusc­h Huts and Canal Reserve Camp for training until 20th February when the battalion returned to the Bluff.

At the end of March the battalion was back in the Canal Sector of the Bluff, either in dugouts or in the line.

They remained there for the first two weeks of April, the rest of the month being spent at Dominion Camp before a return to the trenches in the Spoil Bank sub-sector, west of Ypres, on 27th April where they were heavily shelled.

Relieved on 3rd May the battalion moved to Canal Reserve Camp, Dickenbusc­h, until 12th May when they transferre­d to Ontario Camp, Rehinghels­t, before moving to Acquin for training until 31st May. The battalion’s next move was to Ouderdom.

On 3rd June George, aged 23, was killed by a shell at Ouderdom, death being instantane­ous.

He was buried at the Honourable Artillery Company (H.A.C.) Cemetery, Ecoust-St. Mein, Grave III. C. 12. He is remembered on the memorials in Emmanuel Church and in the former St. Peter’s Church building, Loughborou­gh, as well as on the Carillon.

George’s brother John served with the 7th Auckland Mounted Rifles of the New Zealand Forces and his brother Arthur with the Sherwood Foresters. Both survived the war.

George’s widow was remarried in 1927 to Frank G. Pinchien and moved to Manchester.

John Thomas Hickling

John Thomas Hickling was born in Wymeswold in 1882.

He was the son of William Hickling and his wife Caroline (née Bishop and known as ‘Carrie’) who were married at St. Mary’s Church, Wymeswold, on 27th November 1873.

John’s father was initially a labourer but by 1891 he had become a framework knitter and had moved his wife and family to 36 Russell Street, Loughborou­gh. He then progressed to being a hosiery machine moulder and caster framesmith.

John had one sister Sarah and one brother George; another sister Hannah had died under the age of one.

John’s parents later moved to 45 Cobden Street.

By 1901 John, aged 18, was working as a printer compositor for the Loughborou­gh Echo printing works. By 1911 he had left Loughborou­gh and was working as a printer in Stamford, Lincolnshi­re, and lodging at the home of Agnes Shaw Swanson, a widowed music teacher, in 17 Recreation Road, Stamford.

On 26th December 1914 he married Clara Yates at St. Michael’s Church, Stamford. John and Clara set up home at 19 Vine Street, Stamford, later moving to 6 Conduit Street.

John attested at Stamford on 10th December 1915. He was mobilised on 8th August 1916 and joined the Royal Garrison Artillery as Gunner 13326.

He was undergoing training at No. 2 heavy and Siege Depot at Gosport, Hampshire, when his daughter Irene was born in Stamford on 10th November 1916.

John was posted to France on 8th March 1917 and from the base there was sent to join the 60th Siege Battery on 18th March. Siege Batteries were equipped with heavy howitzers, sending large calibre high explosive shells in high trajectory, plunging fire.

The usual armaments were 6 inch, 8 inch and 9.2 inch howitzers, although some had huge railway- or road-mounted 12 inch howitzers.

As British artillery tactics developed, the Siege Batteries were most often employed in destroying or neutralisi­ng the enemy artillery, as well as putting destructiv­e fire down on strongpoin­ts, dumps, store, roads and railways behind enemy lines.

Just under three months later on 4th June 1917 John died of wounds received in action in the area of Sailly-Labourse, south of Béthune. He was aged 34.

His Major, writing to John’s wife said: ‘Gunner Hickling was a good soldier, much liked by all of us, and he is worthily numbered among the heroes who died for their country’s service’.

John was buried in Noeux-Les-Mines Communal Cemetery, Grave I. T. 15.

Frank Hueck.

Frank Hueck was born in Burton on Trent, Staffordsh­ire, on 15th August 1897 and baptised at St. Paul’s Church, Burton on Trent on 11th July 1898.

He was the son of Jean (or John) Baptiste Hueck (or Heuck, or Husek, or Hughes) and his partner Jane Coates.

Evidence suggests that Frank’s father Jean Baptiste Hueck was born in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and that he was the son of Charles Hueck, an unmarried cigar maker of Dutch origin, and Janey Bagagoine, a former black slave.

Frank’s parents had met when his father, who had come to England, was lodging at Mount Pleasant Inn, Canal Side, Burton on Trent. Jane Coates was the publican’s stepdaught­er.

Frank had three brothers John William, Albert and Edwin and three sisters Jane, Annie and Margaret. Jean Baptise Hueck was a builders’ labourer and the Hueck family moved around from Burton on Trent, to London and to Loughborou­gh.

In 1891 they lived at 5 Greenclose Lane, Loughborou­gh, in 1901 at 8 Hallam’s Row, Albert Street, Horninglow, and by 1911 had returned to 5 Green- close Lane. Frank became a member of the Emmanuel Church Lads Brigade.

Frank enlisted in Loughborou­gh in August 1914 when he was 17 years old and joined the Leicesters­hire Regiment as Private 12058.

He later transferre­d as Private 46699 to the 8th (Service) Battalion of the Northumber­land Fusiliers and was subsequent­ly promoted to Acting Corporal.

His service records have not survived and his date of transfer and promotion are unknown but at the time he enlisted he was employed by the Nottingham Manufactur­ing Company Ltd. in Loughborou­gh.

It is likely that Frank joined the Northumber­land Fusiliers which was part of the Army’s 11th (Northern) Division sometime after July 1916.

In late July 1916 the 8th Battalion was centred at Flesselles, Somme and In August the battalion was doing trench tours in the area of Wailly, south-west of Arras. In the evening of 14th September they took part in the storming and capture of German trenches including the WundtWerk (Wonder Work).

They were also in action at the Battle of FlersCourc­elette on 15th-22nd September, and the Battle of Thiepval Ridge on 26th28th September.

At the end of September the battalion returned to trench tours in the area of Acheux.

From January to March 1917 the Division was involved in the Operations on the Ancre and from 7th to 14th June in the Battle of Messines.

Frank was wounded in June 1917 while his battalion was holding the line near Bailleul.

He was taken to No. 2 Casualty Clearing Station at Bailleul where he died of his wounds on 19th June 1917. He was only 19 years old.

He was buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Grave III. D. 66.

Frank is remembered on the memorial in Emmanuel Church, Loughborou­gh, and on the Carillon.

His name also appears on a bell in the Carillon, the gift of the Nottingham­shire Manufactur­ing Company Ltd, in memory of their employees lost in the war.

Frank is also listed on the war memorial in St. Luke’s Church, Parliament Street, Derby, possibly because his brother Albert lived in Derby. Albert Hueck served with the Leicesters­hire Regiment and survived the war.

 ??  ?? George Walter Hemstock was killed age 23.
George Walter Hemstock was killed age 23.

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