‘The piece of jam and bread was still in his hand’
Died in prisoner of war camp hospital
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 September 1918.
Alfred John Paltridge
Alfred John Paltridge was born in Loughborough in 1897.
He was the son of Alfred John Paltridge, a journeyman tailor, and his wife Clara (née Conley) who were married on 5th May 1889 at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Loughborough.
Alfred Junior had one brother Henry and two sisters Frances and Ethel. Five other siblings died in infancy.
The Partridge family moved from place to place because of Alfred Senior’s work.
In 1890 they lived at 40 Berners Street, Leicester, from 1892 to 1897 they were in Loughborough, in 1899 in Derby, in 1901 at 25 Porter Street, Leicester, and in 1911 at 60 Waterway Street, Nottingham. In 1911 Alfred Junior was an errand boy.
Alfred Junior’s mother died in 1912 and his father in 1915. His brother Henry died in Loughborough in 1916.
Alfred appears to have enlisted sometime in 1916 but the exact dates of his enlistment and when he was sent to France are unknown as his service record has not survived.
He joined the Royal Garrison Artillery, trained as Gunner 194561, and was posted to the 26th Heavy Battery.
The Heavy Batteries of the RGA were equipped with heavy guns, sending large calibre high explosive shells in fairly flat trajectory fire. The usual armaments were 60 pounder (5 inch) guns, although some batteries had obsolescent 5 inch howitzers.
As British artillery tactics developed, the Heavy 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.
These weapons became the first to be hauled by motor tractors rather than horse power and some of the guns were so large that they could only be deployed on railway tracks.
In about March 1915 Heavy Batteries were removed from Army Divisions and Heavy Artillery Groups (HAGs) were formed for heavy and siege batteries.
The batteries could then be placed as required. Arthur is known to have served with the 26th Heavy Battery. In 1916 26 HAG was with 3 HAG from 7th-21st April after which it moved to 42 HAG until 14th June.
On 1st December 1916 to 26th January 1817 it was with 62 HAG and then moved to 73 HAG until 6th December that year.
In 1918 it was with 23 HAG and then 42 HAG.
Unfortunately war diaries for specific HAGs are rarely found and Arthur’s exact whereabouts over his years of service remain unidentified.
Alfred was killed in action, aged 21, on 9th September 1918.
He was buried in Chapel Corner Cemetery, Sauchy-Lestrée, Grave A28.
Alfred is remembered on the memorial in All Saints Church, Loughborough, and on the Carillon.
Thomas Cyril Guest.
Thomas Cyril Guest was born in Loughborough in 1899.
He was the son of David Henry Guest, a cycle maker, and his wife Elizabeth Florence Mary (née Townley) who were married on 12th December 1891 at St, Luke’s Church, Chorlton upon Medlock, Lancashire.
Thomas had four brothers Henry, Gilbert, Harold and David, and one sister Nellie.
In 1901 the family lived at 47 Mersey Street, Warrington, Lancashire. In 1908 Thomas’s father died and in 1911 Thomas and his brothers were with their widowed mother at 46 Matlock Road, Birkdale, Southport, while Nellie, aged 7, was with their aunt Isabella Golder (née Townley) and her husband George at 23 Wood Street, Blackpool.
On 4th August 1912 Thomas’s mother married Henry Finegan, an engineer’s labourer in the shipbuilding industry, at St. Peter’s Church, Birkdale, Southport. Henry, however, unfortunately died three years later.
Thomas, now a butcher’s assistant, enlisted as soon as he was eighteen years old, on 27th August 1917.
He was sent to the 43rd Training Reserve Battalion at Wareham, Dorset, as TR/3078. On 12th December 1917 he was transferred to the 4th Reserve Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment as Private 41334.
On 4th April 1918 Thomas was sent, via Folkestone and Boulogne, to an Infantry Depot in Etaples.
On the following day he was transferred to the Durham Light Infantry with the new number of 82181 and sent to join their 20th Battalion in the field.
Thomas joined the 20th Battalion at Steenvorde on 6th April. He was one of a draft of 448 Ordinary Rank reinforcements for the battalion.
On 7th April the battalion marched to a camp in west Vlamertinghe and on 8th entrained at Brandhoek station for St. Jean, where they went into Reserve for reorganisation and specialist training.
On 12th April the battalion was suddenly ordered to dig a new line of strongposts at the rear of the front line. They spent the next two days completing the strongposts. After this A and C Coys were left to guard the strongposts while the rest began digging new trenches behind this new strongpost line.
On 19th April the enemy attacked one of the new posts on Hill 35. The battalion fought back but were driven off.
They remained in the line until 26th April and then proceeded to Ypres to occupy a line of trenches in front of Dead End.
Here they experienced hostile shelling and heavy artillery fire. From 2nd-10th May the battalion was in Brigade reserve in camp near Vlamertinghe, working on a new line under the Royal Engineers and undergoing specialist training.
Back in the front line from 11th-26th May the battalion was occupied with working parties and night patrols.
From 26th May to 2nd June the battalion was at Brake Camp for working parties and training. On 3rd June they left Brake Camp by light railway for Proven, travelled by broad gauge railway to Watten and marched to billets in Lederzeele.
Most of the rest of June was spent in billets at Bonningues-lès-Ardres and Oudezeele for training and sports before the battalion moved via Abele, back to the line at Kemmel on 30th June.
During July and early August the battalion carried out several trench tours in the front and support lines with a break in Brigade reserve at Reninghelst.
From 10th-23rd August they were kept at Reninghelst for inspections, training and work on the Scherpenburg and Dickebusch Lake line. From Divisional reserve at the end of August they carried out night patrols.
The battalion returned to the front line in the Dickebusch area on 2nd September and two days later launched an attack on the enemy. Having taken their first objective they were forced to withdraw as their flanks were being enfiladed by machine gun fire.
On 11th September 1918, while three companies of the battalion were on a night working party, three Ordinary Ranks were killed and nine wounded. Thomas, aged 19, was one of those killed.
Thomas was buried in Grootebeek British Cemetery, west of Ypres, Grave G 8.
George Henry Bassford
George Henry Bassford, known to his family and friends as ‘Harry’, was born in Loughborough on 23rd February 1896.
He was the son of George Henry Bassford, a sugar boiler in the confectionary trade, and his wife Emma (née Gimson) who were married at Emmanuel Church, Loughborough, on 16th October 1895.
Harry had one brother William Bernard (known as ‘Bernard’ and two sisters Nelly and Magdalen Daisy (known as ‘Daisy’). When he left school Harry was employed at the Brush Works as a turner.
Harry enlisted on 2nd September 1914. He was sent to the Depot of the Leicestershire Regiment at Glen Parva and on 5th September posted to the 7th (Service) Battalion as Private 13111.
From the depot at Glen Parva Harry was sent to the Salamanca Barracks at Aldershot for training.
After being sent to the Andover area in March 1915 the battalion moved to Salisbury Plain in April where on 25th June they were inspected by King George V at Sidbury Hill.
On 29th July 1915 they received orders to proceed to France. The 7th Leicesters set sail for France on the SS Onward ‘in utter darkness and complete silence’.
There was no-one to see off the 110th Brigade as ships leaving full of ‘Tommies bound for France’ was no longer exciting.
In September the 7th Battalion was sent to the area of Berles-au-Bois, south-west of Arras.
The battalion remained in this area around Bienvillers and Bailleulmont until April 1916 and was engaged in localised operations seeking a tactical advantage.
When not in the trenches being subjected to enemy shelling the 7th Leicesters received intensive training in bombing, Lewis gunnery, visual signalling and a host of other skills.
On 1st April 1916, when the battalion was in training at Sus St. Leger, Harry was sent to No. 48 Field Ambulance with a sprained ankle. He returned to duty on 8th April.
From 10th-21st April the battalion was at Humbercamps and formed large working parties for quarrying, constructing a light railway and loading at the railhead.
On 22nd April they continued to Mezenolles and from 24th April to 1st May were in training at Remaisnil. On 2nd May they began moving to the forward area at Halloy and on 3rd May to Pommier in case they were needed in support.
On night of 5th May they moved to La Cauchie and from 15th May the battalion was centred at Bienvillers.
Towards the end of May the battalion did a trench tour in the Bienvillers area.
In early June the battalion formed working parties in the Bailleulmont area and also underwent training.
From 6th-12th June they were in reserve at Bienvillers and dug and wired trenches in the Hannescamps sector. From 12th-18th June they completed a trench tour, after which they moved into reserve at Bailleulmont.
On 1st July the battalion began to move from the Pas-de-Calais to the Somme, marching via Souastre, Wallincourt, Talmas to Hangest. On 10th July they entrained at Ailly for Méricourt and were taken by bus to Meaulté.
On 11th July they moved up to the front at Bottom Wood.
On 14th July the battalion went into the attack at Bazentin-le-Petit Wood.
During the attack Harry was shot in the head.
He was taken to No. 65 Field Ambulance and then to No. 10 Hospital in Rouen. From there he was sent to England on the hospital ship St. George and admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, on 21st July.
Harry was discharged from hospital on 25th November 1916 and sent to a convalescent centre.
On 8th December Harry was posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment and went to Patrington, near Hull, for duty with the Humber
Garrison.
At some point in 1917 or early 1918 he was transferred to the 12th (Reserve) Battalion in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area.
At the end of March Harry was sent back to France to an Infantry Base Depot.
On 9th April 1918 Harry was posted to the 6th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment but instead was immediately re-posted to the Regiment’s 2/4th Battalion.
On 13th April he joined the 2/4th Battalion at Berthem and on the next day the battalion moved into support in the Sunken Road. On 15th April they went into the attack but eventually had to withdraw.
On 16th April the battalion withdrew to Southill Camp, Locre. On 17th, while in the assembly position, the battalion was heavily shelled resulting in 80 casualties, and withdrew to Windmill Camp.
On 18th they attacked again before being relieved by the French, and then moved to Reninghelst. On 20th and 21st April the battalion proceeded via Vlamertinghe to Houtkerque for reorganisation and training until 25th April.
On 26th April they were ordered to move by lorry to School Camp, Watou, and from there went into the trenches in the East Poperinghe line.
The first four days of May were spent improving the Switch and East Poperinghe lines and Windmill defences.
The battalion then marched to Houtkerque and moved by bus to Nieurlet. Here the battalion was reduced to cadre strength and over the rest of the month moved to Mametz, Pressy-les-Pernes, and Estrée-Cauchy.
On 25th May Harry was posted to the 1st Battalion of the Leicesters. He joined the battalion in the front line at Chateau Segard, near Vormezeele. Just after the battalion had moved into support on 26th the enemy began a heavy bombardment of gas shells.
The battalion returned to the front line on 30th May.
On 1st June the enemy opened another heavy bombardment of the Chateau Segard sector, followed by gas shelling on 2nd and sneezing gas shelling on 3rd.
The battalion was relieved on 6th June amid another enemy gas attack and moved to Dirty Bucket Camp, north-west of Vlamertinghe. The battalion remained in this camp until 13th June and provided working parties.
On 13th June 120 men fell sick with influenza.
On 14th June 60 men were sent to hospital and the rest of the battalion moved to School Camp where training took place until 19th June.
On 20th June the battalion left camp for Proven, entrained for St. Omer and marched to camp at Cormette. Here they had range practice and field firing practice until 24th June.
On 25th June they entrained at St. Omer for Mendighem and proceeded to Rainsford Camp, Watou. Here and then at another camp in the Hagebaert area of Poperinghe training continued until 5th July.
During the remainder of July the battalion completed two trench tours in the Dickebusch sector and one period in Brigade reserve on wiring work. In addition, between 22nd and 24th they were in action on the Vyverbeek line.
On 25th July they withdrew to positions in the right sector of Westoutre and worked at night on cable burying.
From 3rd August the battalion was in support in the Dickebusch Lake sector, and from 6th-16th August held the front line.
After being relieved they moved to Brigade reserve in the Dickebusch sector and were employed in working parties until 22nd August.
On 23rd August the battalion entrained at Wellington Junction near Ouderdom, travelled by light railway to Winnezeele, changed trains for St. Momelin, and marched from there to Tilques.
Training began on 26th and included practice in marshalling and escorting prisoners.
On 29th August the battalion marched to Mentque for sports.
From Mentque on 1st September the battalion entrained at St. Omer for Corbie and marched to Franvillers. From 3rd-10th September there was training in attack technique and open warfare.
On 11th they moved to Daours and three days later to Monchy-Lagache by bus.
Preparations were now made for an attack.
On 17th September the battalion moved to the concentration area in Jean Devaux Wood where they were shelled twice and then through heavy rain, dense mist and shelling to Holnon Wood.
During the concentration of troops on 18th September preparatory to an attack Harry was killed in action, aged 22.
Harry was buried in Chapelle British Cemetery, Grave II. D. 18.
He is remembered on the Brush Memorial (in the Carillon Museum) and on the Carillon.
Albert Henry Taylor
Albert Henry Taylor was born in Loughborough in late 1878.
He was the eldest son of Henry Taylor and his wife Sarah Jane (née Beeby) who were married on 23rd September 1877 at Emmanuel Church, Loughborough.
Albert’s father was a dyer’s foreman.
Albert had two brothers Alfred and Wilfred and a sister Elizabeth. Another sister Millis had died in infancy. He also had an adopted sister Harriet Brewin, who subsequently took the surname of Taylor.
The Taylor family lived in Leopold Street in Loughborough, firstly at No. 87, then at No. 86, and finally, after Albert’s father died in 1910, at No. 55.
After he left school Albert became a hosiery trimmer. From 1901 to 1911 he was still living at home.
By the time he enlisted at Nottingham on 22nd March 1916, however, he was living at 16 Jennison Street, Bulwell, Nottinghamshire.
According to his service papers he was called up as a Reservist, although when he attested he did not declare any previous military service.
On 27th March 1916 Albert was posted as Private 39064 to the 13th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment). He was then sent to Brocton Camp, Staffordshire, for training.
On 17th April 1916 he was transferred to the newlyformed 22nd (Labour) Battalion of the Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) as Private 3053.
He was sent firstly to Millington, Cheshire, and then to France on 11th May 1916.
In October 1916 the 22nd Battalion was attached to the 5th Army and took part in the Battle of the Ancre.
From 9th April -16th May 1917 it was involved in the Battle of Arras before being sent to the Ypres Salient.
On 7th March 1917 Arthur was in the 21st Field Ambulance with a problem in his wrist. He returned to duty ten days later.
On 14th May 1917 he was transferred to the 19th Labour Company (the successor to the West Yorkshire 22nd Battalion) in the Labour Corps as Private 11253.
On 17th June he was sent to No. 50 Casualty Clearing Station at Hazebrouck with scabies and did not return to duty until 31st July.
On 30th September 1917 Arthur was transferred to the 1/4th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment.
Now Private 29454 he joined his new battalion in Reserve at Neuville-Vitasse, south-east of Arras, on 4th October.
On 5th they marched to a camp on the Northumberland lines and on the 6th to Achiet-le-Petit for eight days training. On 16th the battalion entrained at Miraumont for Cassel and marched to Broxeele for a further three days training.
Between 20th and 24th October the battalion moved via Anneke and Proven, to Sarawak Camp near Crombeke and on 25th went into the front line at Caribou Farm.
On 30th, after two days in Reserve at Marsuin Farm, the battalion returned to the front line at Egypt House. On 31st an advance was aborted owing to severe enemy machine gun fire.
From 6th-16th November the battalion was based at Parroy farm and employed on working parties.
On 17th November they entrained at Vlamertinghe for Lumbres and marched to the Tournehem area for training there and at Bayeninghem until 9th December.
Between 10th and 11th December the battalion entrained at Watten for Brandhoek and moved to Potijze Farm Camp near Ypres. They then moved into the line in the Zonnebeke area.
After the trench tour the battalion moved by motor convoy into Reserve at St. Lawrence Camp, Brandhoek.
On 20th December the battalion moved by bus to Potijze and then into internal support at Seine. On the following day they moved to the Fish Market, Ypres, for working parties. Christmas was spent in the support line in the Hambourg area, after which they returned to St. Lawrence Camp, Brandhoek.
In January 1918 the battalion was mainly in training at Winnizeele and Leulinghem before returning to Brandhoek and Ypres for a trench tour at Seine Corner.
On 7th February they went into reserve at St. Lawrence Camp before two trench tours in the Hambourg area and a period in reserve at Sunderland Camp, Ypres.
Between 22nd February and 8th March the battalion was in training at Quelmes. On 9th March they moved by rail from Wizerbes to Boves and marched to Gentelles. From 11th-20th March training took place at Guillaucourt.
On 21st March, the opening day of the German Spring Offensive, the battalion travelled by rail to Brie, marched to Bernes and took up a position on the line.
On 23rd, after being almost surrounded by the enemy they were ordered to retreat across the bridge at Brie and marched to Bellay-en-Santerre.
On 25th the battalion took up a position north-east of Licourt but after the enemy broke through, the battalion was ordered to withdraw to a line of trenches at Ablaincourt and then to the Rosières-Vrely road.
The withdrawal was done under heavy enemy machine gun fire, and on 28th the battalion was again forced back to Caix, Cayeux and then Louvrechy.
On 29th, having being ordered to a position south of Demun they were again forced out to a position south-east of Thennes. Attempts to move forward failed and the battalion withdrew to Domart.
At the beginning of April the battalion withdrew to Saleux, entrained for Rue and marched to Estrées le Crecy. From there they moved via Béthune, Essars and Doulieu to take up a defensive position at Rue du Trou Bayard, north-west of the River Lys, on 9th April.
Fighting here lasted for five days with the enemy making repeated attempts to cross the river.
After a violent enemy bombardment on 13th April the battalion withdrew to Le Parc and then moved to Fôret de Nieppe.
On 16th April the battalion was sent to Wittes-Aires and placed in huts at La Lac for training until 25th April. On 26th April the battalion entrained at Calonne-Ricquart for Courville and marched to Mont-sur-Courville.
Here training continued until 4th May. From 6th -21st May the battalion was in the front and support lines at Craonne.
On 27th May the 3rd Battle of the Aisne began. During the battle Albert was taken prisoner by the Germans and put in a Prisoner of War Camp at Trélon.
One of Albert’s comrades told his mother that: “We were kept working behind the German lines. Although he kept reporting sick the Germans would not let him go to hospital.
“On September 13th we were sent to Trelon hospital, but all the wards were full and we had to sleep on some wet wood shavings on a stone floor. He asked for a piece of bread, and said, ‘I wish you would let me write home’. I must have dozed off.
“When I woke up he was dead, and the piece of bread and jam was still in his hand. He died very peacefully, and I don’t think he was in pain.” Albert died, aged 29, on 18th September 1918. He was buried in Glageon Communal Cemetery Extension, Grave I. K. 6.
Albert’s brother Alfred, who served with the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards, was killed in 1914.
Matthew Cockerill
Matthew Cockerill was born in Loughborough on 4th September 1898.
He was the oldest son of Thomas Cockerill and his wife Mary Eliza (née Green) who were married In Loughborough in the early summer of 1896. Matthew had three brothers Thomas, Frank and John and two sisters Joyce and Mary.
In 1901 Matthew’s father was a grocer’s manager and the family lived at 18 Broad Street, Loughborough.
By 1911 Matthew’s father had his own grocery business in Swan Street and the family had moved to 43 Park Road, Loughborough, and employed a housekeeper.
In 1915 his father was ordered in court to pay damages to a child Mary Taylor, who had been injured in Ratcliffe Road when the unattended grocery horse bolted with its attached conveyance.
After he left school Matthew became an assistant in his father’s grocery business. With his family he attended the Baptist Church. He enlisted on 30th August 1916 and was mobilised on 19th February 1917.
He was sent to Leicestershire Regiment Depot at Glen Parva and then posted to the Regiment’s 10th (Reserve) Battalion as Private 41430.
Over the next year Matthew trained as a signaller. Being a signaller usually meant you were close to the front line troops, providing signals communications back to your Company and Battalion HQ.
Wired telephones were used where possible but this involved laying landlines which was a hazardous job during enemy shelling. At the start of the war flags were also used for signalling but this practice was little used by the time Matthew was trained.
Where it was not possible to lay landlines then many forms of visual signalling were used which made use of light either from sunlight (use of the sun and mirrors) in day time and lamps at night (Lucas Lamps).
Messages were sent in Morse Code, one man operating the signalling device and one man using a telescope (where distances were great) to read the message sent back.
Signallers were also used in forward positions to assist the artillery and provide information on their enemy targets. In these positions, often isolated, the signaller became vulnerable to enemy shelling and attack, and many signallers lost their lives.
Matthew was sent to Calais, via Folkestone and Boulogne, on 20th February 1918.
From K Infantry Base Depot he was then posted to C Coy of the 7th (Service) Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment between 26th and 28th February.
At the time the battalion was at Adrian Camp, Villers-Faucon, Somme, for wiring work and trench digging.
In March it became clear that the Germans were planning a Spring Offensive.
From 1st-20th March the battalion did trench tours at Pezières, two Coys in the front and support lines, 1 Coy garrisoning five posts and 1 Coy in reserve for counter-attack purposes.
During this time the battalion carried out patrols while the enemy attempted several raids and sent over gas shells. The front line companies were relieved every four days.
The enemy launched their Spring Offensive on 21st March 1918 with a heavy barrage of phosgene and mustard gas.
The 7th Battalion was holding the left hand portion of the front between Pezières and Epehy village when it was attacked by German stormtroopers. The enemy broke through the front line and the battle for Epehy raged all day.
During the battle Matthew was taken prisoner by the Germans.
The next sighting of Matthew is unfortunately the record of his death from ‘intestinal catarrh’ [catarrhal enteritis] in Kriegslazarett Le Cateau (a German military hospital) on 21st September 1918. He was only 19.
He was buried in Le Cateau Military Cemetery, Nord, Grave 1.B.118.
Matthew is remembered on the Baxtergate Baptist Church Memorial and on the Carillon.