Lancashire Fusiliers are awarded tenth Victoria Cross
NICOLE McCLURG looks back at what was making the news 100 years ago
ONE officer and nineteen noncommissioned officers and men have been awarded the Victoria Cross for feats of the greatest gallantry.
One of the men belongs to the Lancashire Fusiliers, and by this award, the number gained by this regiment during the war is ten easily a record. Six were gained at the Lancashire landing in Gallipoli. ‘Hundred enemy surrender.’ No. 8133 Sergt. Joseph Lister, Lancashire Fusiliers, Reddish, Stockport.
For most conspicuous bravery in attack, when advancing to the first objective, his company came under machine gun fire from the direction of two ‘pill-boxes.’ Seeing that the galling fire would hold up our advance and prevent our troops keeping up with the barrage, Sergt. Lister dashed ahead of his men and found a machine gun firing from a shell-hole in front of the ‘pill-box.’ He shot two of the enemy gunners, and the remainder surrendered to him. He then went on to the ‘pillbox’ and shouted to the occupants to surrender. They did so with the exception of one man, whom Sergeant Lister shot dead; whereupon about 100 of the enemy emerged from shell-holes further to the rear and surrendered.
The non-commissioned officer’s prompt act of courage enabled our line to advance with hardly a check and to keep up with the barrage, the loss of which might have jeopardised the whole course of the local battle.
Sergeant Lister is 31 years old, and has lived in Reddish all his life. He is a married man, and his wife and children live at 3, Prenton View, Reddish. He joined the Army in September 1914 and went to France the next year, visiting his home for the first time shortly before last Christmas, when he was invalided with trench fever. In addition he has been wounded on four occasions. He was educated at the Houldsworth School and before joining the Lancashire Fusiliers was employed as a labourer at Lowe’s Chemical Works. He had previously been recommended for the D.C.M but did not get the award. Stormy Weather ‘Dislocation of Telephone Control’ THE gale which sprang up on Saturday and set in again last night (November 26) has seriously dislocated the telephonic arrangements in Manchester. In Lower Irwell Street the strong wash of the river brought down a pole, carrying three standards of one hundred wires. In addition, a very large number of faults has been discovered, and, with a depleted staff, the outdoor section has practically been working continuously since Sunday morning. ‘Hurricane in the Peak’ The previous night’s hurricane in the Peak was renewed last night with increased fury and continued this morning. Rain fell continuously throughout the night, and some of of the rivers are overflowing their banks, big stretches of land being submerged. Yesterday’s snow has been washed from the hills and the River Goyt at New Mills is abnormally high.
An eighty-one year old cyclist, John Green of Goole, Yorkshire, was blown off his tricycle in the gale and killed. ‘A Dastardly Trick’ Pepper-throwing by youths in a theatre “IT is a dirty, dastardly trick, and one I cannot conceive any sensible youth doing,” said Mr Matthews, Chairman at the City Police Court today (November 28) to two boys who were charged with assaulting Elizabeth Burns, of Franchise Place, Chorlton on Medlock, by throwing pepper in her eyes at the Empire Theatre on November 20.
The prisoners were John Prince, 16, a carter of Wolfenden Street, Openshaw and Joseph Mitchell, 17, also a carter, of Vivian Street, Ancoats.
On the night of November 20 they went to a restaurant in London Road, Manchester, and stole a pepper box. Later on they were in the gallery at the Empire Theatre, where they were seen to be throwing the pepper about in order as they said, “to make people sneeze.” Miss Burns, sitting in front of the youths turned round and said “Mind my eyes” but at the same time, some of the pepper went into her eyes and she was so badly injured in the right eye, that she had since been an outpatient at the Royal Infirmary.
Miss Burns said there was still some doubt whether she would regain her sight in that eye, but the other one was practically all right.
The manager of the theatre said pepper throwing had taken place before in the gallery, but the culprits had been discovered. It was a highly dangerous practice, as great disorder might be caused.
The boys were arrested in the theatre by P.C Troy but denied that they had deliberately thrown the pepper into the girl’s face.
Both prisoners were fined 40s. with an alternative of 25 days’ imprisonment for the assault, and were bound over on the charge of stealing the pepper box. War work of Levenshulme Bowling Club AT the annual meeting of the Levenshulme Bowling and Social Club, it was reported that during the last twelve months the members have contributed the undermentioned amounts towards various funds for our wounded heroes:
£21 for a joy day, at which 64 wounded soldiers and 22 nurses were entertained; £23 for a spinal carriage; £10 for Lancashire prisoners of war in Germany; and
£70 for the cigarette fund for the Alma Park and Brook House Military Hospitals.