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19th (4th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment
The 19th (4th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment was raised in Manchester on the 28th of August 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City. Initially they trained at Heaton Park but moved in April 1915 to Belton Park, where they joined 90th Brigade, 30th Division. They to Larkhill in September 1915 for final training and proceeded to France on the 6th of November 1915. concentrating near Amiens. on the 21st of December they transferred to 21st Brigade, still with 30th Division. In 1916 they were in action during the Battle of the Somme, in which the Division captured Montauban. In 1917 they took part in the pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Arras Offensive and The Battle of Pilkem Ridge. In early 1918 the army was reorganised and the 18th Manchesters were disbanded in France on the 6th of February 1918, with the troops transferring to other units.
19th Manchester Regt. on the right.
21st Apr 1915 Manchester City Battalions Brigade Sports day A crowd of 20,000 people gathered at Heaton Park to watch Manchester City Battalion's Brigade sport's day. 4th City Battalion won the Brigade steeplechase earning them the nickname Scarlet Runners.
24th Apr 1915 Manchester City Battalions move camp The four Manchester City Battalions left Heaton Park Camp for Belton Park near Grantham, Lincolnshire. 18th Battalion left Heaton park in the early morning, marching through Manchester to London Road station to entrain for Grantham. On arrival they marched 3 miles to Belton park.
1st of January 1916 Night-time Shelling
2nd of January 1916 Direct Hits 
13th of January 1916 5th Division in Reserve
15th January 1916 Trenches shelled.
8th July 1916 British troops in action on The Somme 5-45am July 8th 1916, The 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment moved off up the valley by Talus Boisse to a position just west of Bernafay Wood with orders to attack and take the southern portion of Trones Wood.
This accomplished the Wiltshires were to attack from Maltz Horn Alley their right joining up with the left of the French who were attacking at the same time.
The 19th Manchesters were in trenches behind available for support and the 18th Kings Liverpools were detailed to provide carrying parties, battalion HQ was at the Briqueterie.
7-15am, "C" Company 2nd Btn Yorkshire Regiment under Capt Maude entered Bernafay Wood followed in succession by the bombing sections, "D" Company under Capt Belcher, "B" Company under 2nd Lt Hubbard and "A" Company under Capt Colley.
8-00am, Under severe shellfire which caused casualties before starting and added to some confusion caused by the passage through the wood.
"C" Company 2nd Yorks emerged from the wood and commenced to cross the open space between it and Trones Wood.
For about 80 yards rising ground gave some cover but immediately this was topped a very heavy machine gun and rifle fire was opened from the edge of Trones Wood and the front line was practically hit to a man.
Some men got into Trones Alley a communication trench between the two woods and Lt Field with the battalion bombers made an attempt to bomb up it and get into the wood, snipers in trees defeated this and seeing that without further and more powerful artillery support a direct attack was hopeless and a withdrawal to Bernafay Wood was ordered at 8-30am
The Germans now commenced a heavy and constant bombardment of Bernafay Wood with guns of every calibre.
Cover was poor and for the rest of the day the battalion could do nothing but hold on under heavy punishment.
Casualties were numerous and the removal of wounded was a matter of the greatest difficulty.
Mens nerves were subjected to probably the greatest strain the battalion had yet to bear in this war and it was with great relief that at 7-00pm orders were received to withdraw.
Casualties of the 2nd Yorks were: Officers; killed 3, wounded 4,
Other ranks; killed 19, wounded 116, missing 17.
31st Jul 1917 In Action
2nd Aug 1917 Message of Congratulation
23rd Apr 1918 Trench Recce
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with19th (4th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Airey Sydney. Pte.
- Callan Arthur. Pte. (d.2nd August 1917)
- Dunn Francis James. Pte.
- Gardiner Fred. Pte.
- Garside Robert Taylor. CQMS
- Hewart William. Pte. (d.24th Feb 1917)
- Holt Ellis. Pte. (d.4th March 1917)
- Hurlston George. Pte. (d.23rd July 1916)
- Jones Albert Edward. Pte. (d.23rd Jul 1916)
- Lawton William. Pte. (d.28th July 1916)
- Oldfield Robert. Pte. (d.22nd June 1917)
- Oldfield Robert. Pte. (d.22nd June 1917)
- Simms Herbert. Cpl. (d.2nd April 1917)
- Taylor Wellesley. Pte. (d.30th Nov 1917)
- Taylor William Lanaster. Sgt.
- Tingey Thomas. Pte. (d.17th October 1918)
- Williams Frank Sidney. Pte. (d.6th Sep 1917)
- Wray Ernly. Pte.
- Wray Ernly. Pte.
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 19th (4th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment from other sources.
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Sgt. William Lanaster Taylor 19th Btn. Manchester Regiment William Taylor served with the 19th Manchester Regiment.
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Pte. Arthur Callan 19th (4th City) Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.2nd August 1917) Arthur Callan served with the 19th Battalion, Manchester Regiment in WW1. He died 2nd of August 1917 aged 20 years and is buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery in France. Son of John Edward and Mary Ellen Callan of 10 Vernon St., Gorton, Manchester.
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Pte. Francis James Dunn 19th Btn. Manchester Regiment Private Francis James Dunn was with 19th Battalion Manchester Regiment and was killed in the battle for Guillemont in Northern France on 23rd July 1916.
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Pte. Sydney Airey 19th Btn. C Coy. Manchester Regiment Sydney Airey, born in Manchester on 15th of June 1895, reported for enlistment at Palatine Buildings, Manchester, on 7th of November 1914. He was attested the following day as a Private in the 4th City Battalion (the 19th Manchesters), and given the serial number 12679.
After being shunted around with his Pals in various places in northern France, he found himself part of The Big Push on 1st of July 1916. He was captured during the Battle of the Somme at Guillemont on 23rd of July 1916 and spent the rest of the war as a POW, initially at Dulmen in Germany.
He died at the age of 30, his health having suffered during his imprisonment. Sydney was my grandfather. My mother was 18 months old when he died.
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Pte. Wellesley Taylor 19th Battalion Manchester Regiment (d.30th Nov 1917) My great grandfather, Wellesley Taylor, died on the 30th of November 1917. He left behind his widow Mary and his two children, my Grandfather George Edward and his sister Mary Taylor. Wellesley is remembered with honour at Hooge Crater Cemetery.
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Pte. William Hewart 19th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.24th Feb 1917) It's not long since I discovered my great uncle William Hewar was killed in WW1. This is just the beginning of a long journey for me and, I hope to return to this page and reveal the journey that he made in his short life.
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Pte. Ernly Wray 19th (4th City) Btn. A Company, 3 Platoon Manchester Regiment There seems nothing but love and goodness written and spoken of Ernly Wray. Even after all the horrendous experiences of WW1. He never lost his faith in God, his church, family and friends. Indeed he went on to make great contributions to his family and for his community.
Like many of his generation he died young - before his parents.
Ernly Died in September 1931 aged 35. He was buried on 29th of September at Philips Park Cemetery.
His son Albert said of his fathers death:
.When he died, he was laid in state in All Souls Church, Ancoats, all night, with some of his comrades staying with him. Lots of people came to pay their respects to him, and many hundreds lined the streets. All Souls Brass Band which he used to play in and help set up, played all the way to Bradford Cemetery and the graveside.
His great friend Nora Bowan wrote a beautiful poem for his Eulogy.
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Pte. Ernly Wray 19th (4th City) Battalion, A Coy, 3 Platoon. Manchester Regiment Ernly Wray fought on the Somme, with the Manchester City pals
he lost an eye to shrapnel and suffered Trench Foot. His company was decimated within 3 weeks. After recovery he became a stretcher bearer
but was invalided out in 1916 aged 17. He was unemployed, the promise to keep his job open was not honoured. His war Pension was cut from 8 shillings, then to 7 shillings, then to 6 shillings.
He died in 1931.
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Pte. Albert Edward Jones 19th Btn Manchester Regiment (d.23rd Jul 1916) Albert Edward Jones was the son of Thomas and Margaret Jones.
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Pte. Frank Sidney Williams 19th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.6th Sep 1917) My grandfather was Frank Williams. He was 39 when he died in Ypres, Belgium on 6th of September 1917. My mother told me that he was called up into service in the summer of 1917. He died within weeks of arriving in Belgium.
He left behind six children and a widow. Subsequently, his widow Emma Williams died in 1921 from disability caused by her husband's death (CVA),
leaving six orphans behind.
We have had no details of what happened to him and what battle he was at, other than being at Ypres, Belgium. I am finding it almost impossible to track what happened to him. There are no records of his date of being activated into service or any record of his dates of service. There is no mention of the 19th Battalion, Manchester Regiment being called in to service in 1917. Any help on shedding light on this would be helpful. It is shocking for me that there is no history of the individual battalion movements.
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Pte. Thomas Tingey 19th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.17th October 1918) Thomas Tingey died whilst a POW on the 17th of October 1918. He is buried in the Niederzwehren Cemetery in Germany.
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Pte. Ellis Holt 19th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.4th March 1917) Ellis Holt served with the Manchester Regiment 19th Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 4th March 1917, aged 22 and is buried in the Berneville Communal Cemetery in Pas-de-Calais, France.
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CQMS Robert Taylor Garside 22nd (7th City) Btn. Manchester Regiment Robert Taylor Garside was the younger son of Emma M Goldman who married Thomas Douglas Hamilton Garside in 1884 in Philadelphia USA. Robert was younger brother of Paul Hamilton Douglas Garside (aka 'Peter Hammond').
Robert Taylor Garside married Mary Palmer in in Lower Broughton 1914 and had two sons, Ronald & Roy Garside.
Robert enlisted on the 2nd of Sep 1914 aged 24 and gave his birth place as Lower Broughton, occup. Clerk, address 17 Grecian St Lower Broughton. He was actually born in USA c.1891 (see UK census 1901).
He was posted to 19th Manchesters (4th City) Battalion.
On the 19th of Jan 1915 he was posted to 22nd Manchesters (7th City) 'B' Coy Platoon V. and was promoted same day to CQMS. Robert was apparently a 1st class shot. In the regimental photo he is sitting on the right of his CO Capt. Alfred Bland.
On the 11th of Nov 1915 the battalion was posted to France.
On the 1st of Jul 1916 (first day of The Somme) the 22nd Manchesters were part of the 7th Division at Mametz. Robert was wounded in France & operated on at Endell St Military Hospital then sent to Kings Lancashire Convalescent Hospital, Clifton Park on 15 Jan 1918.
On the 19th of Feb 1918 he was posted to the 3rd Manchesters and on the 17th of Feb 1919 Robert was discharged to classZ from the 8th Reserve Battalion.
Robert Taylor Garside died in 1947 in Fylde Lancashire.
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Pte. Fred Gardiner 19th Btn. C Coy. IV Pln. Manchester Regiment Fred was the son of William and Sarah Ann Gardiner of Hollingworth and later Hyde in Cheshire. Fred joined the 4th City Battalion(Manchester Regiment)in 1915,which later became the 19th Battalion.
In September 1915 Fred sailed with his regiment to France on the SS Queen Alexsandra. Fred was involved in action at Glatz Redoubt, near the village of Mountaban and later in July 1916 at the town of Guillemont where his company pushed the Germans troops out of the town only to be cut of from their regiment and captured by the Germans. He was in IV Platoon, C Company, 19th (Service) Battalion at that time.
Fred spent the rest of the war as a POW and was repatriated in December 1918.
His 1914-1915 Star Medal along with his photo is displayed in the Manchester Regiment Museum in Ashton-Under-Lyne Town Hall.
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Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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The Manchester Pals Martin Steadman
Manchester proved able to raise eight Pals battalions. Initially, these battalions were composed of middle-class men who experience before the war years was within the commercial, financial and manufacturing interests which formed the foundations of Edwardian Manchester's life and prosperity. Manchester was undeniably proud of its pals battalions; that the area was capable of raising. Seven months after their arrival in France the battle of the Somme was launched, on the fateful 1st July, 1916. On the right of the British Army's extraordinary efforts that day, the Manchester Pals were part of one of the few successful actions, taking the villages of Montauban and Mametz and making a deep incursion into the German defences north of the River Somme.
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