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- 5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment



 East Lancashire Regiment, 5th Btn.  The 5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment was a unit of the Territorial Force with their HQ in Mill St, Burnley. The unit was made up of A (Burnley) Company, B (Burnley and Padiham) Coy, C and D (Burnley) coys, F (Accrington) Coy, G (Haslingden and Ramsbottom) Coy and H (Baccup) Coy. When war broke out in August 1914 they were based in Blackburn with the East Lancashire Brigade in East Lancashire Division. They were mobilized for war and moved to to Chesham Fold Camp (Bury) for training then proceeded overseas leaving from Southampton on the 10th of September 1914, arriving in Egypt on the 25th of September 1914. The Division underwent training around Cairo and defended the Suez Canal against the Turkishh attack in February. In May the Division became 126th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division and went on to land at Cape Helles in Gallipoli and took part in the action capture the dominating heights around the village of Krithia. By August, the division had lost about 2/3rd of it's men through battle casualties, injuries or sickness and reinforcements arrived. The Battalion made a successful withdrawal from the Helles bridgehead and on the 28th of December 1915 landed on Mudros and then returned to Egypt.

On the 27th of February 1917 they landed Marseilles and proceeded to the Western Front. They were re-equipped for trench warfare and entered the line at Epehy, as part of III Corps in Fourth Army. In September they moved north to Flanders and were in action at the Battle of Passechendaele for a short time before moving to the coast at Nieuport. In November they moved to Givenchy where they undertook the construction of concrete defence works. In 1918 they were in action on The Somme, in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy. The Battalion was demobilized at Charleroi between December 18 and March 1919.

2nd May 1915 Orders

25th May 1915 Ship Sunk

14th Oct 1915 Reorganisation

18th Oct 1915 Poor Weather

19th Oct 1915 CO Killed

22nd Oct 1915 Bad Weather

23rd Oct 1915 Enemy Active

26th Oct 1915 Reinforcements

29th Oct 1915 Relief Complete

31st Oct 1915 Reliefs

22nd Dec 1915 Saved his Comrades

22nd Nov 1916 Posting

24th Nov 1916 Defence Line

20th Dec 1916 On the March

21st Dec 1916 On the March

2nd Mar 1917 On the Move

3rd Mar 1917 Quayside

4th Mar 1917 On the Move

5th Mar 1917 Inspection

6th Mar 1917 Inspections

7th Mar 1917 Escort

8th Mar 1917 Rough Weather

9th Mar 1917 Rough Weather

10th Mar 1917 Threat

11th Mar 1917 Arrival

17th Apr 1917 On the March  location map

24th Apr 1917 Attack Made  location map

25th Apr 1917 Attack Made  location map

27th Apr 1917 Reliefs  location map

26th May 1917 Reliefs  location map

30th May 1917 Trench Work  location map

25th Jun 1917 Reliefs  location map

9th Mar 1918 Training & Football  location map

19th Mar 1918 Football  location map

20th Mar 1918 Football & Boxing Finals

23rd Mar 1918 On the Move

24th Mar 1918 On the Move  location map

25th Mar 1918 Shelling  location map

25th Mar 1918 Withdrawal  location map

27th Mar 1918 Under Fire  location map

20th Apr 1918 Reliefs

5th Jun 1918 Guest Night

18th Jun 1918 Signals

19th Jun 1918 Reliefs Completed

8th Aug 1918 Reliefs

10th Oct 1918 Football  location map

19th Oct 1918 Preparations  location map

20th Oct 1918 Attack Made  location map

6th Nov 1918 Heavy Fighting

7th Nov 1918 Advance  location map

8th Nov 1918 Advance

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment?


There are:5281 items tagged 5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Abbott Robert. Pte.
  • Allen Arthur. Pte. (d.9th Aug 1915)
  • Anyon James. Pte. (d.6th March 1916)
  • Atkinson Frederick Clement. Pte. (d.7th Oct 1915)
  • Bolton John. Lt. (d.4th June 1915)
  • Bray Herbert. Pte. (d.26th June 1915)
  • Bullock James Robert. Pte. (d.22nd Nov 1915)
  • Burrell Charles. L/Cpl. (d.8th June 1915)
  • Burrell Charles. L/Cpl. (d.8th June 1915)
  • Cain MM. Michael Harry. Pte.
  • Cawtherley John Robert. Pte. (d.13th June 1915)
  • Clough Fletcher. Drmr. (d.9th June 1915)
  • Cocker Joseph. Pte. (d.19th May 1915)
  • Crummett Eric William. Pte. (d.2nd Feb 1917)
  • Cryer Clarence. L/Cpl. (d.18th December 1915)
  • Dean James. Pte. (d.31st August 1918)
  • Dunleavy Thomas. Pte. (d.12th Nov 1915)
  • Eddlestone Richard. L/Cpl. (d.13th Nov 1915)
  • Entwistle Herbert. Pte. (d.10th Oct 1915)
  • Greenwood Harold. Pte. (d.12th Oct 1915)
  • Greenwood Harold. Pte. (d.12th October 1915)
  • Greenwood Walter. L/Col. (d.23rd May 1915)
  • Hale William. Sgt. (d.12th December 1915)
  • Hall Walter. Pte. (d.6th July 1915)
  • Hargreaves Fred. Pte. (d.14th May 1915)
  • Hartley Michael. Pte. (d.31st March 1918)
  • Hawarth Oldfield. Pte. (d.6th Aug 1915)
  • Healey William. Cpl. (d.1919-11-06)
  • Hepworth Albert. Pte. (d.13th June 1915)
  • Holt George. Pte. (d.11th June 1915)
  • Horsfield William. Pte. (d.4th Nov 1915)
  • Horsfield William. Pte. (d.4th Nov 1915)
  • Hughes Herbert. Pte. (d.4th June 1915)
  • Jones Herbert. L/Sgt. (d.30th Aug 1915)
  • Kennerley William. L/Cpl. (d.2nd Sep 1915)
  • Magnall James. Sgt. (d.21st Jun 1915)
  • Marshall DCM James. Sgt.
  • Nutter William. Pte. (d.4th June 1915)
  • Pedley Walter. Pte. (d.16th Nov 1915)
  • Pedley Walter. Pte. (d.16th Nov 1915)
  • Pinder Rennie M.. Pte,
  • Robinson John Caesar. Pte. (d.13th May 1915)
  • Rushton Hartley. Pte. (d.15th Jul 1915)
  • Rushton Hartley. Pte. (d.15th July 1915)
  • Seales William Thomas. Pte. (d.8th Jul 1915)
  • Smith VC. Alfred Victor. 2nd Lt. (d.22nd Dec 1915)
  • Stanton Martin. Pte. (d.15th Sep 1915)
  • Stanton Martin. Pte. (d.15th Sep 1915)
  • Thornton Thomas. Pte. (d.9th June 1915)
  • Wild Harry. Sgt. (d.12th Apr 1917)
  • Wild Harry. Sgt. (d.12th April 1917)
  • Wild Harry. Sgt. (d.12th April 1917)
  • Williamson John. Pte. (d.5th June 1915)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment from other sources.


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  Pte. William Horsfield 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.4th Nov 1915)

William Horsfield died of Dysentry on 4th November 1915, aged 25 and is buried in Pieta Military Cemetery in Malta. he was the son of Henry and Margaret Horsfield, of 84, Mitella St., Burnley.

s flynn






  Pte. Herbert Entwistle 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.10th Oct 1915)

Herbert Entwistle died on 10th October 1915, aged 39 and is buried in Plot the Addolorata Cemetery in Malta. He was the son of John and Ann Entwistle; husband of Mary Ann Entwistle, of 7, Hyde St., Burnley

s flynn






  Pte. Arthur Allen 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.9th Aug 1915)

Arthur Allen died of Dysentry on the 9th August 1915, aged 29. He is buried in the Alexandria Chatby Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Alexandria, Egypt. He lived at 2 Hartley Street, Burnley, Lancashire

s flynn






  L/Cpl. Charles Burrell 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.8th June 1915)

Charles Burrell died of dysentery following wounds 8th June 1915, aged 32 and buried in the East Mudros Military Cemetery on the island of Limnos in Greece. He was the son of James & Susannah Burrell, of Burnley, husband of Florence of 4 Grosvenor Street, Stoneyholme, Burnley.

s flynn






  Pte, Rennie M. Pinder 5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment

I found a 1914-15 Star in my family's possessions. Rennie Pinder not a known relative. He is listed on the Burnley Roll of Honour.

Thomas J Speers






  Pte. Michael Harry Cain MM. 5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment

Michael Cain was a small man. As such his duty was to crawl into No Man's Land and clear out forward observation posts and prepare for new observers. Once, on his way back he came upon a small German patrol who when challenged surrendered to him. One of the Germans offered him his watch, this was refused as if found in possession by the German Army would have been a capital offence.

Gordon Cain






  Pte. James Dean 1/5th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment (d.31st August 1918)

My Uncle James Dean was killed eight weeks before the Armistice. He was the oldest of ten children born to William and Sarah Jane Dean in a small village called Wiswell near Whalley Lancs.

He enlisted with his younger brother, William, but only Billy was to return home. James is mentioned on a memorial in Wiswell of which was his old school, also he is on a plaque inside Habergham All Saints Church, Burnley. He lived just down the road from the Church on Scott Street when he enlisted.

The family always thought he was buried in Padiham Cemetery with our Grandmother but by searching my family tree I found his grave in Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt, France. Since this discovery two of my cousins have visited the grave.

My hope is to visit this year on the hundred anniversary of James's death.

<p>Wiswell War Memorial

Pauline Littler






  Sgt. Harry Wild 1/4th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.12th April 1917)

Harry Wild was a 29 year old Sergeant in the 4th East Lancashire Territorial Regiment when war broke out in 1914 and embarked with the regiment to Egypt. He was wounded during the Battle of Krithia Vineyard and evacuated to hospital in Egypt. After convalescing he was returned to UK and posted as Recruitment Sergeant in Padiham before being discharged from 1/4th E. Lancs in mid 1916. He returned to life as a weaver in Padiham before re-enlisting in the 5th East Lancs in October 1916 retaining the rank of Sergeant.

The regiment went to France in November 1916 and was mobilised as a reserve unit for the Battles of Arras in April 1917. On 10th April the regiment moved from camp in Maroueil and entered line during that afternoon. In taking the German Effie trench later that day the regiment came under attack from artillery fire and lost an officer, 3 other ranks killed and 9 wounded. It is probable that Harry Wild was one of the wounded and he was evacuated to Aubigny-en-Artois Casualty Clearing station where he died of wounds on 12th April 1917.

He was survived by his wife Annie and son Fred, of Thomas Street, Burnley. Sgt Harry Wild is commemorated on the War Mmemorial in the grounds of St. John's Church, Higham, where he had been a chorister before the war.

Mike Wild






  Pte. Michael Hartley 2/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.31st March 1918)

Michael Hartley served with the 2/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment.

Alan Barry






  Sgt. Harry Wild 1st Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.12th April 1917)

Harry Wild was a mill worker who joined the 5th E. Lancs as a territorial around 1905. By the outbreak of war in 1914 he had risen to the rank of Serjeant. He was also a chorister at Higham Church in Lancashire.

He saw service with 5th East Lancs in Egypt in 1914 before landing at Gallipolli and fighting at Krithia Vineyard. He was wounded, in the arm I believe from family stories, and invalided to Egypt. He returned to Padiham and was discharged as time served, returning to mill work in 1916.

After a few months, and seemingly missing military life, he re-enlisted in 1st East Lancs and was shipped to France in late 1917. The 1st E. Lancs were a reserve unit at the 1st Battles of the Scarpe, part of the Battle of Arras/Vimy Ridge and sometime on 10th April he was wounded. He was evacuated to the Casualty Clearing Station at Aubigny where he died of wounds two days later on 12th April, aged 32. He is buried in the Aubigny Community Extension cemetery.

He left a son, then aged 5, my father, who died never having visited his father's grave. I visited first in 1991 and a number of times since researching my grandfathers last days.

He is commemorated on the Padiham War Memorial and also on the small memorial in Higham churchyard. He was my grandfather and, with his great granddaughter, hope to commemorate the centenary of his death in April 1917 in Arras.

Mike Wild






  Pte. Walter Pedley 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.16th Nov 1915)

Walter Pedley died of wounds aged 20 and is buried in the Pieta Military Cemetery in Malta. He lived at 86 Reed Street, later 5 Hampden Street, Burnley, Lancashire.

Submitted by S Flynn






  Pte. William Horsfield 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.4th Nov 1915)

William Horsfield died of dysentry aged 25 and is buried in the Pieta Military Cemetery in Malta. He was the son of Henry and Margaret Horsfield, of 84, Mitella Street, Burnley.

S Flynn






  Pte. Harold Greenwood 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.12th October 1915)

Harold Greenwood died of fever in Malta aged 24. He is buried in the Pieta Military Cemetery in Malta.

S Flynn






  Pte. Martin Stanton 5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.15th Sep 1915)

Martin Stanton died 15th September 1915 aged 33 and is buried in the The Gibraltar (North Front) Cemetery, Gibraltar. He was the husband of Ada Stanton of 12 Peter St., Burnley, Lancashire.

s flynn






  Sgt. Harry Wild 5th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment (d.12th Apr 1917)

Sgt Harry Wild was fatally wounded during the attack on Monchy on or around 9th April 1917 and died of wounds at the clearing station based around Aubigny. He is buried in Aubigny Communal Extension cemetery. He was 32.

A weaver and chorister at Higham church near Padiham, he was already a Sergeant in the 1/5 East Lancs when war broke our and went with them to Egypt in Sept 1914. The regiment became part of the 42nd division which landed at Cape Hellas between 6-8 May 1915. He was wounded, apparently badly and evacuated to Egypt where he was hospitalised for some months. His return date to UK is not known but upon his return he became a recruitment sergeant in Burnley sometime late in 1916. He was granted a discharge as time served in early 1917 and went back to being a weaver.

It seems he got bored and decided to re-enlist in the 1st East Lancs in November 1917, retaining his rank of Sgt. He was shipped to France shortly after and the regiment was in support at the Battle of the Scarpe on the southern flank of Vimy Ridge. I've retraced the regiment's steps from Monreiul village where they left at 0500 on the morning of battle marching almost 12 miles to the front in winter conditions that froze soldiers to death. The regimental diaries talk of a group being hit by a shell which claimed 4 deaths and injured "12 other ranks including NCOs".

Sgt Harry Wild is commemorated on the East Lancs Memorial in Burnley and on the memorial in the grounds of Higham church. His headstone claims simply "One of the best".

Mike






  L/Cpl. William Kennerley 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.2nd Sep 1915)

William Kennerley died on the 2nd of September 1915, aged 25 and buried in the Portianos Military Cemetery, Greece. He was the son of William and Martha Kennerley, of Burnley both parents had died before the war and William lived with his sister and brother-in-law at 19 Albany Terrace.

s flynn






  Pte. Thomas Dunleavy 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.12th Nov 1915)

Thomas Dunleavy died of wounds on the 12th of November 1915, aged 35 and is buried in the Portianos Military Cemetery in Greece. He was the son of Francis and Bridget Dunleavy, of Burnley Husband of Margaret Crossley (Formerly Dunleavy) of 2 Robert Street, Burnley.

s flynn






  Pte. William Thomas Seales 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.8th Jul 1915)

William Seales died of enteric fever aged and buried in the East Mudros Military Cemetery, Island of Lemnos, Greece.

S. Flynn.






  Drmr. Fletcher Clough 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.9th June 1915)

Drummer Fletcher Clough died of wounds on 9th June 1915, aged 16. He is buried in the East Mudros Military Cemetery, Island of Lemnos, Greece. He was the son of Henry and Annie Clough, of 85 Keswick Road, Blackpool.

S. Flynn.






  L/Cpl. Charles Burrell 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment (d.8th June 1915)

Charles Burrell died of dysentery following wounds on the 8th June 1915, aged 32 and is buried in the East Mudros Military Cemetery, Island of Lemnos, Greece. He was the son of James & Susannah Burrell of Burnley and husband of Florence of 4 Grosvenor Street, Stoneyholme, Burnley.

s flynn






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