A few words...

John Waddington

Born Heapey, Living in Whittle le Woods

Died of Wounds:  21 June 1917

France and Flanders

Reg no - 25365

Rank : Private

Enlisted at Chorley

9th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

The 9th Battalion took part in the Battle of Messines

He is buried at Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Wulverghem (now Wulvergem)

The headstone notes on CWGC site mention a Mrs Issabelle Waddington,

c/o Mrs I Robinson, Moor View, Blackburn Road, Heapey

No inscription

73

John Ward

Born Blackburn

Killed in Action: 2 July 1916

France and Flanders

Reg no - 15351

Rank : Private

Enlisted at Chorley

11 Battalion East Lancashire Regiment

Another member of the Accrington Pals killed on the attack on Serre

Son of Thomas and Alice Ward of 2 County Terrace, Clayton le Woods

His brother Richard also fell.

His name is on the Thiepval Memorial

74

Richard Ward

Born Blackburn

Killed in Action: 30 July 1916

France and Flanders

Reg no -  18117

Rank : Private

Enlisted at Blackburn

2 Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers

Richard Ward and the 2nd Battalion, were involved in the attack on Guillemont.

They assembled in an area east of Trones Wood, moving forward along the

Guillemont Road.

They entered the village from the south west taking a few casualties.

Later in the attack they became cut off

650 casualties out of attacking force of 750, majority dead or missing.

Brother of the above

Son of Thomas and Alice Ward of 2 County Terrace, Clayton le Woods

Married Cordelia Ellen Carr, St Matthews , Blackburn on 13 September 1913

Husband of Cordelia Ellen Hinton (formerly Ward), of 146, Higher Audley St., Blackburn.

Think they had a son Frank Clifford Ward in 1914 , he married Ella Ashton at

St Matthews, Blackburn in 1935. 

His name is on the Thiepval Memorial

Thank you to Allison Aspden (nee ward) for emailing me and providing

extra information. I have added it to the comments page.

75

James Waring

Born Whittle le Woods

Killed in Action: 11 April 1918

France and Flanders

Reg no - 19354

Rank : Private

Enlisted at Chorley

1 Battalion South Wales Borderers

1st Bn. attd. Trench Mortar Bty

On the 8th April 1918, the 1 Battalion South Wales Borderers set off on  a 5 hour

train journey from Fouquereil and then marched to Beuvry.

They arrived to a comfortable billet.

On the 9th April 1918 they were woken by shelling on the village,which lasted

until 10.30am.

The Germans had attacked the line from La Bassee Canal to Armentiers.

On the 10th April 1918 "the day was more or less quiet"

On the 11th April 1918 the Battalion was to relieve the front line at Hohenzollern.

But that order was canceled at 12 noon and they were ordered to the Canal Line.

With two companies holding the line at La Bassee Canal and two companies

in support.

Son of William and Amelia Waring, of The Cross Keys Inn, Whittle-le-Woods.

His gravestone reads

JESUS MERCY, MARY HELP

ETERNAL REST

GIVE UNTO HIM O LORD

RIP

Buried at Browns Road Military Cemetery, Festubert

The words are those of his father Mr William Waring

76

George Weaver

Born Farington

Killed in Action: 27 March 1918 ?

France and Flanders

Reg no - 28789

Rank : Private

Enlisted at Chorley

9th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment

Lodgers at Naylors Fold, Whittle le Woods in 1911 with his wife Alice and their children
Ethel and Mary Hannah. 

George was a labourer at the Cotton mill

George Henry Weaver was previously Pte. 23223, King's Liverpool Rgt. It looks like

he was a draft transferred to the 9th Cheshires from the King's, possibly early 1916.

His recorded date of death is wrong, most likely because of the heavy fighting.

The 9th Battalion had been mostly withdrawn from the area.

And the war diary will not have been back dated accurate.

He is buried at SERRE ROAD CEMETERY No.1

77

William West

Born Whittle le Woods

Died of Wounds: 13 September 1915

Gallipoli

Reg no - 11417

Rank : L / cpl

Enlisted at Chorley

6 Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

He may of been injured at the attack on Chunuk Bair

They were positioned at a place called the apex on the Chailnuk Dera.

The battalion after the attack was moved to Sulva and took over trenches at Green

Hill.

He is buried at the HAIDAR PASHA CEMETERY, Istanbul, Turkey

78

John Westby

Born Chorley, Living at Clayton le Woods

Killed in Action: 28 April 1917

France and Flanders

Reg no - 24981

Rank : Private

Enlisted at Preston

10 Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

The 10th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was in action on the 23rd April.

Taking part in the 37th Division attacks on GREENLAND HILL during the Second Battle of the Scarpe.

On the 27th tthey recieved orders to attack GREENLAND HILL at dawn the next day!

At roughly 4.30 am the battalion attacked and managed to capture one of their objectives.

From the moment they attacked they had come under heavy fire and suffered serious casualties.. and only had 1 officer survive.

Their attack had failed due to a combination of poor weather conditions and the snow would'nt of helped. The Germans were dug into some very well defended positions. 

Son of the late Joseph and Mary Ann Westby; husband of Mary Westby, of

6, Pleasant View, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancs.

of 3 Brownley Street, Clayton le Woods,

left £199 10s 7d to his wife Mary as of a probate date of 3 Sep 1917

He married Mary Crook in 1909 at Chorley Reg Office

Children -

Mary Veronica Westby born 1911 Died 1911

Mary Veronica Westby born 1913 married James Clayton at Chorley Reg office in 1934

His name is on the Arras Memorial

Robert McClellan was in the same Battalion and also killed on the same day

79

Walter Westhead

Born Whittle le Woods

Killed in Action: 29 October 1918

Italy

Reg no - 34155

Rank : Private

Enlisted at Chorley

8 Battalion Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princes of Wales' Own)

Formerly 34627, Ches. Regt

On the same day of the Austro-Hungarians asking for an armistice!

Walter Westhead would be Killed in Action at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which

was fought from the 24th October 1918 to 3rd November 1918.

This battle helped to end the first world war less than two weeks later with the Armistice of 11 November.

Son of Thomas, a Cotton Weaver and Ellen, Naylors Fold in 1911 

He is buried at Plot 1. Row B. Grave 12. Tezze British Cemetery, Italy

80

John Whalley

Born Chorley

Killed in Action: 13 March 1916

France and Flanders

Reg no - 5929

Rank : Private

Enlisted at Manchester

"D" Coy 20 Service Battalion Royal Fusiliers

Former student of Science and Technology.

He was a colourist with Jos Cunliffe at the Calico Printers in Whittle-le-Woods.

In 1909 he enrolled as an evening student on Science and Technology courses. 

His name is also commemorated at -

Manchester Municipal College of Technology Memorial in the Sackville Building, University of Manchester.

At 5pm on 12 March 1916 the 20th Service Battalion, Royal Fusiliers relieved

the 5th Scottish Rifles in the Cuinchy Section, Cambrin Support Point

Relief complete at 11.35pm.

On 13 March 1916 the enemy blew a mine at 6.15am.

Crater ETNA and GIBBONS, No casualties. Somewhere near those previously blown

mine craters (c1915)

Attack by enemy in the evening

Captain E.T Wright killed by rifle grenade, 2nd Lt T.S Pope wounded.

4 OR killed, 8 OR wounded.

(1 remaining at duty)

We hold near lip of crater.

Living at Windfield, Whittle le Woods

Effects £105 5s 10d to wife Elizabeth Whalley on 5 June 1916

Son of George and Elizabeth Whalley, of Chorley, Lancs

His father of 52 Preston Road would have this inscribed on his stone -

THROUGH DARK TO LIGHT

He is buried at Cambrin Churchyard Extension, Cambrin plot L1. 10C

81

Mark Wilson

Born Blackburn

Died of Wounds: 31st March 1918

France and Flanders

Reg no - 24968

Rank : L\Cpl

Enlisted at Lancaster

8 Battalion, Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment

He married Alice Lyon on 2nd June 1902 at Christ Church, Blackburn.

As of 1916 they had children, Gladys, Albert, Ethel and Elenor. and lived at

26 Henrietta St, Blackburn.

He was a Paper Mill Labourer

Alice was living at No 3 Mount Pleasant, Rock Cottages, Whittle le Woods

as of his death

.

Enlisted on 25 August 1916

He died at the field hospital at Estrees on 31st March 1918

Alice would recieve a war pension of 33/9 a week for herself  and the four children.

He is buried at Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery

No inscription from his family

82

Robert Withnell

Born Whittle le Woods

Age : 43

Died of Blackwater Fever: 19 January 1918

South Africa

Reg no - ME/184

Rank : Sapper

Enlisted at

South African Mounted Engineers

Lived at Town Lane, Whittle le Woods in 1901 with his wife Rachel, and their son

Norman William Withnell

He was a Carpenter and Joiner, and Rachel was a Cotton Winder.

Husband of Rachel Withnell, of Carwood Farm, Craighall, Johannesburg, South Africa

at the time of Roberts Death in 1918

Mrs R Withnell, PO BOX 5309, Johannesburg

He is Buried at Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery, Tanzania

His son Norman William Withnell born 1898 Whittle le Woods, Lancashire and would marry Kathleen Mary Cooper, who was born 24 April 1898, Pretoria, Transvaal

83