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- 5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment during the Great War -


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

5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment



   5th Battalion Manchester Regiment was a unit of the Territorial Force with its HQ at Bank Chambers, Wigan. They were part of the Manchester Infantry Brigade, East Lancashire Division. When war broke out in August 1914 they were mobilized and moved to Rochdale to prepare for service overseas. They proceeded to Egypt arriving at Alexandria on the 25th of Sepetmber to defend the Suez Canal from the Turkishh forces in Palestine. They were in action in the Turkish attack on the Suez Canal on the 3rd of February 1915. In the first week of May the division embraked from Alexandria, landing at Cape Helles, Gallipoli, where they saw action in the attempts to capture the heights of Krihia and the Battle of Krithia Vineyard which was a diversionary attack for the British Landing at Sulva Bay. The much depleted division were evacuated from Gallipoli in the first week of January 1916, returning to Alexandria via Mudros. They returned to duty on the Suez Canal and were in action in the Battle of Romani in August. In early 1917 they were ordered to the Western Front, departing from Alexandria in February. They went into the front line at Ephey, moved to Havrincourt then were withdrawn to Albert for rest and training during July and August. In September they moved north to Flanders and were in action during the Third Battle of Ypres at Iberian, Borry Farm, Beck House Farm and Sans Souci. At the end of the month they moved to the coast at Nieuport until November when they moved to La Bassee Canal at Givenchy. On the 19th of February 1918 they transferred to 126th Brigade still with 42nd Division. In 1918 they saw action during The Battle of Bapaume, The First Battle of Arras, The Battle of the Ancre, The Battle of Albert, The Second Battle of Bapaume, The Battle of the Canal du Nord, The pursuit to the Selle and The Battle of the Selle. At the Armictice the advance units of the division had crossed the River Sambre at Hautmont. They were moved back to the Charleroi area in mid December where they were demobilised.

20th Aug 1914 On the March

10th Sep 1914 On the Move

25th Sep 1914 On the Move

4th Jun 1915 Hard Fighting

29th Oct 1915 Relief Complete

31st Oct 1915 Reliefs

14th May 1917 Change of Command

17th May 1917 On the March

3rd Jun 1917 Reliefs

12th Jun 1917 Reliefs

6th Jul 1917 Artillery Active

9th Jul 1917 On the March

10th Jul 1917 On the March

11th Jul 1917 Training

12th Jul 1917 Training

13th Jul 1917 Church Parade

15th Jul 1917 Training

16th Jul 1917 Training

19th Jul 1917 Training

20th Jul 1917 Lecture

21st Jul 1917 Training

24th Jul 1917 Training

25th Jul 1917 Boxing Match

26th Jul 1917 Brigade Sports

27th Jul 1917 Brigade Sports

29th Jul 1917 Training

30th Jul 1917 42nd Divisional Sports  location map

31st Jul 1917 Training  location map

1st Aug 1917 Rain

2nd Aug 1917 Rain

3rd Aug 1917 Church Parade

4th Aug 1917 Training & Baths

9th Aug 1917 Training

10th Aug 1917 Very Wet Day

16th Aug 1917 Training

17th Aug 1917 Training

18th Aug 1917 Orders Issued

19th Aug 1917 Training

21st Aug 1917 On the Move

29th Aug 1917 Orders

30th Aug 1917 Training

31st Aug 1917 On the March

13th Sep 1917 Trench Work

19th Sep 1917 On the March  location map

20th Sep 1917 On the March  location map

22nd Sep 1917 On the Move

24th Sep 1917 Reliefs  location map

27th Nov 1917 Reliefs  location map

30th Dec 1917 Inspection  location map

19th Feb 1918 Bands Play  location map

17th Jul 1918 Recce

18th Jul 1918 Reliefs  location map

12th Aug 1918 Reliefs

26th Sep 1918 Forming Up

27th Sep 1918 Attack Made

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





Want to know more about 5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment?


There are:5286 items tagged 5th 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

5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Akenhead Francis. Capt.
  • Blyth DCM, MM George. CSM.
  • Burke Arthur Patrick. Private (d.9th October 1917)
  • Burrows Cyril. L/Cpl.
  • Campsall Wilfred Lawson. Pte. (d.5th June 1915)
  • Clarke William. Pte.
  • Hall Edwin. Pte.
  • Littleford William. Pte. (d.6th Oct 1918)
  • Markland Joseph. Pte. (d.10th Aug 1915)
  • Owen Wilfred. (d.4th Nov 1918)
  • Regan John. Cpl. (d.22nd Oct 1917)

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, Manchester Regiment from other sources.


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  Pte. Joseph Markland 1st/5th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.10th Aug 1915)

Joseph Markland

Joseph Markland served with the 1st/5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.

Joan Wright






  L/Cpl. Cyril Burrows 1/5th Btn. D Coy. Manchester Regiment

Cyril is 3rd from right in the middle row.

I have photos of Cyril Burrows and my grandma told me he was in the 1/5th Manchester Regiment in WW1 I have photos in Egypt etc He was in Dulmen on 22nd of June 1917 and on a list of those who escaped.

Robert Sheppard






  Pte. William Littleford 1/9th Battalion Manchester Regiment (d.6th Oct 1918)

My Grandfather William Littleford joined the Territorial Army in Ashton Under Lyne in 1908 his number then was 48 At the outbreak of WW1 his Battalion 1/9th sailed to Egypt in preparation for the Gallipoli Offensive. They sailed from Alexandria in the SS Ausonia and landed on V Beach on 9th May 1915 under heavy fire. After the evacuation from Gallipoli he served in Egypt then the Veneto Region of Italy where he fought in the Battle of the Piave River. Now joined to 21st Battalion he entered the Western Front where he lost his life due to being gassed during the Battle of Beaurevoir.

Gillian Sweeny






  CSM. George Blyth DCM, MM 1/5 Btn. Manchester Regiment

George Blyth was awarded the DCM for open gallantry at Gallipoli while in charge of a party of snipers.

He was then shipped to Hospital in Sheffield with enteric fever and remained there for a few months.

When he recovered he went back to his unit in France and was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the MM. Part of the 127th (Manchester) Brigade which was composed mainly of battalions of the Manchester Regiments.

Roy Blyth






  Capt. Francis Akenhead 5th Btn. Manchester Regiment

Francis Akenhead of Morgan and Co, Solicitors, Newport, Monmouthshire was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant of the 5th Battalion Manchester Regiment and attained the rank of Captain. He survived the Great War.

David Akenhead






  Pte. Wilfred Lawson Campsall 1/5th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.5th June 1915)

Private Wilfred Campsall served with the 1/5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, he was killed in action on 5th June, 1915, aged 19. Wilfred was born at Medge Hall in 1895, to George and Emma Campsall (nee Singleton). Around 1899 the family moved to Scunthorpe. His father was an iron ore inspector at the blast furnaces, whilst Wilfred was a press-boy at a brickworks.

Wilfred enlisted as a territorial soldier in the Lincolnshire Regiment at Scunthorpe, possibly before the outbreak of war and most likely with the 5th Battalion who were the nominal territorial battalion for the north of the county. He was transferred to the 1/5th Battalion Manchester Regiment. The 1/5th Manchester moved to Gallipoli on 6th May when they landed with 42nd Division at Helles Beach. On 26th May they became part of 127th Brigade in 42nd Division.

On 4th June, the 42nd Division, alongside the 29th Division, attacked the Turkish trenches in the hills above Cape Helles in an attempt to break out from Helles Beach. Consolidating their position over the next two days, the 1/5th Manchesters defended it against several Turkish counterattacks. Wilfred was one of the casualties of these counter-attacks. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial. Wilfred is also remembered on the Scunthorpe Roll of Honour.

Chris Campsall






  Pte. William Clarke 5th Btn. Manchester Regiment

William Clarke was born about 1874. His wife was Mary Hannah (nee Edwards) who was born about 1871. They had six children. William was employed at Nasmyth and Wilson, Bridgewater Foundry, Patricroft, Eccles as a labourer and crane driver. He volunteered for Army service at the Drill Hall, Cromwell Road, Eccles, and joined the Lancashire Fusiliers as Private No. 5056. He transferred to the 5th Manchesters and was renumbered 4197.

He embarked on the Empress of Britain to Egypt via Gibraltar arriving on 17th September 1916. William had various postings around Egypt. He left Egypt for the Western Front in March 1917 and saw action at Arras, Ypres, Passchendaele and various engagements during the retreat and advance in 1918.

William was demobilised in April 1919 with no injuries. He was awarded two medals: the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, which he received in 1921. He returned to his family at Eliza Ann Street and resumed work with Nasmyth Wilsons.







  Private Arthur Patrick "Paddy" Burke 5th Pals service Manchester (d.9th October 1917)

My Great Uncle Art/Arthur/Pat/Paddy Burke served from app Nov 1915 to his death, at Paeschendael, in Oct 1915.

He was part of A company and spent 1916 around Mametz/ Fricourt, moving between the trenches and Morlancourt. He wrote some 200 plus letters, now with the Imperial War museum, many addressed "Somewhere in France". The recepients were his mother, brother Reg, and his sister (my Grandmother) Tot.

As a "picture" of the life of the private in the Great War these letters are as good as any that have been saved. He managed to circumvent the censor by sending some letters back with friends on furlough, or some who had "got a Blighty one".

Radley Searle






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