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- 21st (6th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment during the Great War -


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

21st (6th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment



   The 21st (6th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment was raised in Manchester on the 13th of November 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City. They moved to Morecambe for training in January 1915 and in April moved to Grantham to join 91st Brigade, 30th Division. In September they moved to Larkhill, Salisbury Plain for final training and proceeded to France in early November, landing at Boulogne. On the 20th of December 1915 91st Brigade transferred to 7th Division. In 1916 They were in action during the Battles of the Somme, including the capture Mametz, The Battle of Bazentin, the attacks on High Wood, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Guillemont and the Operations on the Ancre. In 1917 They fought during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the flanking operations round Bullecourt during The Arras Offensive, before moving to Flanders for the Third Battle of Ypres, seeing action in The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle and The Second Battle of Passchendaele. In late 1917 the 7th Division was selected to move to Italy. They took up position in the line along the River Piave,in late January 1918. On the 13th of September 1918 the 21st Manchesters left 7th Division and returned to France, joining 7th Brigade, 25th Division. They were in action during the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy.

27th Mar 1917 Reliefs

1st Sep 1917 On the March

2nd Sep 1917 On the March

3rd Sep 1917 On the March

4th Sep 1917 In Billets

5th Sep 1917 In Billets

6th Sep 1917 On the March

7th Sep 1917 Wet Day

8th Sep 1917 In Billets

9th Sep 1917 Training

10th Sep 1917 Training

11th Sep 1917 Training

12th Sep 1917 Training

13th Sep 1917 On the March  location map

14th Sep 1917 Training  location map

15th Sep 1917 On the March  location map

16th Sep 1917 Training

17th Sep 1917 Training

18th Sep 1917 Exercise

19th Sep 1917 On the Range  location map

20th Sep 1917 Exercise  location map

21st Sep 1917 Exercise  location map

22nd Sep 1917 Musketry  location map

23rd Sep 1917 Musketry  location map

24th Sep 1917 Exercise

25th Sep 1917 Musketry  location map

26th Sep 1917 Demonstration

27th Sep 1917 Training

28th Sep 1917 On the March

29th Sep 1917 On the Move

30th Sep 1917 In Camp

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





Want to know more about 21st (6th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment ?


There are:5261 items tagged 21st (6th City) Battalion, Manchester 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

21st (6th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Boyd Herbert. Pte.
  • Boyd John. Pte. (d.4th October 1917)
  • Boyd John. Pte. (d.4th October 1917)
  • Coupe Chadwick. Pte. (d.24th October 1917)
  • Crombelholme David. Pte. (d.10th-12th January 1917)
  • Haigh Harry Kershaw. Sgt.
  • Herbert Joseph Samuel. Sgt.
  • Hoath Martin. Pte. (d.29th Aug 1916)
  • Johnson Harry. L/Cpl. (d.27th April 1916)
  • Lawson Tom. Pte
  • Roberts Evan John. Pte. (d.4th Oct 1918)
  • Shaw Alfred. L/Sgt. (d.4th Oct 1918)
  • Tonge Herbert. Sgt.
  • Wilson Robert. 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 21st (6th City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment from other sources.


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  L/Cpl. Harry Johnson 21st (6th City) Battalion Manchester Regiment (d.27th April 1916)

Harry Johnson has a Headstone inscription in Southern Cemetery, Manchester, but he is buried at Bronfay Farm Military Cemetery in Bray-sur-Somme, France.

<p>Harry Johnson in 1915







  Pte. David Crombelholme 21st (6th City) Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.10th-12th January 1917)

My Uncle, David Crombelholme is buried in the Beaumont-Hamel British Cemetery, in the Somme region of France.

Moira Flannery






  Pte. Chadwick Coupe 21st (6th City) Battalion Manchester Regiment (d.24th October 1917)

Chadwick Coupe was my dad's uncle.

Adrian Coupe






  Sgt. Harry Kershaw Haigh 3rd Btn. Manchester Regiment

My grandfather, Harry Haigh, was born in Rochdale on the 21st of September 1880, the youngest child of James Henry and Sarah. The family moved to live in Milnrow near Rochdale, the birthplace of his mother. Harry had been a soldier in the Manchester Regiment from 1902 until 1910 and was then in the National Army Reserve until he was called up at the outbreak of WW1. He had married in 1911 and had a daughter in 1912 and at the time they lived in Heywood near Rochdale

He rejoined on the 24th of September 1914 as a Lance Corporal in the 3rd Manchesters and on the 9th of November he was posted to the 1st Manchesters and was sent to France with them.

In December 1914 he was fighting in the Battle of Givenchy and in June 1915 he suffered a shell wound to his forehead and then a bout of enteric fever whilst with No. 2 Company of the 1st Manchesters, and was transferred to D on the 16th of July that year. He was sent to a war hospital in Preston, perhaps Dunstan House?, Lancashire.

He returned to service on the 6th of October 1915 and was posted to the 3rd Manchesters as an unpaid Lance Corporal, still serving in France and at some point in 1916 was posted B.S.O. to the 2nd Manchesters as a Lance Corporal and in September that year was again transferred, this time to the 21st Manchesters and by the 21st of September had been promoted to Corporal.

In 1917 he was at Mailly, France with the 21st Manchesters and on the 12th of January he was injured by a shell entering his forehead and he was sent to Bellhouston Red Cross Hospital in Glasgow on the 23rd of January 1917. His promotion to Sergeant came through before this attack and he rejoined the 3rd Manchesters as a Sergeant on the 10th of April 1917, remained in England and was posted to the 70th Training Reserve Battalion as an instructor. On the 14th May 1918 he was attached to the NCO's School as an instructor and was discharged from the Army on 31st of March 1920 having served 18 years 42 days.

He was awarded the 1914 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. He died in 1943 and is buried in Heywood Cemetery, Lancashire with his wife who had died a month earlier.

Dorothy Hargreaves






  L/Sgt. Alfred Shaw 21st Btn., A Coy, 2nd Plt. Manchester Regiment (d.4th Oct 1918)

Alfred Shaw was the eldest of six children, all from New Mills. Before joining, he was a law clerk; his father James was somewhat disabled due to an industrial injury. James kept the local post office in New Mills.

Two of Alfred's brothers also served in the Great War, but they survived. Alfred's brother Fred happened to be at home in October, and he had a dream in which he saw one of his brothers lying dead on a battlefield. He couldn't tell which brother, as the man was lying face down and they looked alike from the back.

Judith Crocker






  Pte. John Boyd 21st Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.4th October 1917)

John Boyd was my uncle and was killed during the third Battle of Ypres (Battle of Passchendaele) and is remembered on the Manchester Regiment Panel at the Tyne Cot Memorial.

My father Herbert Boyd, was the younger brother of John. They would both been in the 21st Btn when John was killed but, as my father never spoke about his wartime service or his brother John, I do not know if they met up again prior to this sad event.

Chris Boyd






  Pte. John Boyd 21st Btn. Manchester Regt. (d.4th October 1917)

Private John Boyd was my uncle and brother of my father, Private Herbert Boyd, also listed on this site.

My father was wounded during the first week of the Somme conflict and repatriated to England where he was hospitalized. On returning to France on 19 September 1917 he was posted to the 21st Battalion, the very same Battalion in which his brother John was serving when he was killed in action one month later on 4th October.

My father never ever spoke about his war service and never about his brother John. The information I now have I obtained only recently through research.

Chris (aka Joseph) Boyd






  Sgt. Herbert Tonge 25th Battalion Manchester Regiment

Herbert Tonge served with the 25th and 21st Battalions, Manchester Regiment

Marjorie McGiffen






  Pte. Robert Wilson 21st Battalion Manchester Regiment

Born in Hulme Manchester 1881 Robert Wilson, who was living & working as a House Painter in Rusholme, volunteered at the age of 33 & joined the 21st Manchesters, in D Company. Robert survived the war after fighting in France & Italy returning Jan 29th 1919, one of only 28 of the original battalion that left for France on the 10th November 1915. He lived in the Rusholme and Fallowfield area the rest of his life & died in 1953 at the age of 71.

Steve Bradley






  Pte. Herbert Boyd 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment

On 26th March 1915, Herbert Boyd attested and was posted to the 16th Battalion, he served through out the Great War as follows:
  • 30 August 1915, posted to the 25th Reserve Battalion
  • 23 December 1915 Disembarked in France
  • 6 July 1916 Admitted to the Lord Derby War Hospital, Warrington.
  • 29 July 1916 granted convalescent leave to 7 August 1916. Spent this leave at 24 Queens Street, Broughton.
  • 1 September 1916 posted to 69th Training Battalion.
  • 19 September 1917 returned to France
  • 24 September 1917 posted to 21st Battalion
  • 19 January 1919 Sent to Italy (21st Battalion) Home address: 24 Ellor Street, Salford.
  • 28 February 1919 Posted to the Depot.
  • 4 June 1919 Posted to the 2nd Battalion
  • 23 June 1919 Appointed Lance Corporal paid.
  • January 1920 Appointed Acting Corporal
  • 21 January 1920 posted to 1st Battalion as Acting Corporal
  • 11 February 1920 Discharged as no longer fit for further service.
  • 23 April 1920 Awarded a King's Certificate (No.63/3438)







  •   Pte. Martin Hoath 11th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.29th Aug 1916)

    Martin Hoath, enlisted into the Army at the outbreak of the War. He was attached to the 11th Manchester Regiment. The regiment was deployed to the Dardenelles, where he took part in the Sulva Bay Landings Gallipolli. After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, Martin went with his regiment to France. For some reason which has never been explained he was killed on the 29th of August 1916, whilst with the 21st Manchester Regiment who were deployed into trenches south of Delville Wood. He has no known grave and his service records were destroyed during the bombings in World War II. He left behind his wife Mary and four children all of school age. His name appears on the Theipval Memorial, France.

    Chris Davies






      Sgt. Joseph Samuel Herbert 21st Battalion Manchester Regiment

    Sgt Joseph Herbert joined the Manchester 21st Battalion 'E' Coy around August 1915 just after he turned 18. We know he trained at Heaton Park because he told us he did. We also know that he did not serve abroad due to his fitness but this is a bit of a mystery to us. We have some records such as information from when he left and we know he was based at Riby when he left on 1919 and he worked there as a clerk. On his wedding certificate in 1917 he is down as a clerk in the 70th training reserve.

    I would like to find out more about what he did and why he was promoted to Sgt but haven't been able to get hold of any records of his service.

    Claire






    Recomended Reading.

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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.
    More information on:

    \image of book cover

    The Manchester Pals








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