The Wartime Memories Project - The Great War

CSM. Fred Birtwistle DCM & Bar. British Army 2nd Btn. Rifle Brigade


Great War>


This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.


If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.



    Site Home

    Great War Home

    Search

    Add Stories & Photos

    Library

    Help & FAQs

 Features

    Allied Army

    Day by Day

    RFC & RAF

    Prisoners of War

    War at Sea

    Training for War

    The Battles

    Those Who Served

    Hospitals

    Civilian Service

    Women at War

    The War Effort

    Central Powers Army

    Central Powers Navy

    Imperial Air Service

    Library

    World War Two

 Submissions

    Add Stories & Photos

    Time Capsule

 Information

    Help & FAQs



    Glossary

    Our Facebook Page

    Volunteering

    News

    Events

    Contact us

    Great War Books

    About


Advertisements

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

224335

CSM. Fred Birtwistle DCM & Bar.

British Army 2nd Btn. Rifle Brigade

from:Hollywood, County Down, Northern Ireland

Fred Birtwistle C.S.M Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion (marked with X)

Fred Birtwistle C.S.M Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion (marked with X)

Fred Birtwistle, from Bury, Lancashire, joined the Rifle Brigade to fight at the Boer War in Africa and was awarded medals for South Africa. He was the son of Samuel & Ellen Birtwistle, he was my great-grandfather. He married Margaret (née Bell), from Banbridge, Northern Ireland, whilst at the Palace Barracks in Hollywood, Belfast, 1909. Their first child was my grandmother Ellen. They had other children: Frederick George, Samuel, Isabel and Jeanette.

Fred was awarded a DCM & Bar on 18th of June 1917 and Bar September 22nd 1917. He later received a clasp of roses along with the three WW1 service medals. This was gazetted also for gallantry awards in the field.

Fred was a Company Sergeant Major in the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade. Sadly, Fred died on May 24th 1920 whilst at his barracks at Winchester just after the war. He was aged 38 and is commemorated with a CWWG at Winchester Old Hill Cemetery, England. His DCM & Bar is on display at The Royal Green Jackets Museum, Winchester, England. Fred's wife died in 1960 at Finlay Street, Ligoniel Village, Belfast, leaving their grandchildren Freddy, Geordie, Isabel, Ellie, Alfie, Ivan, Robert, Reg, Susan, Dinah, and Teddy.

Like so many thousands of brave men that gave their lives for our freedom, our father, grandfather, great-grandfather Fred was a hero and like all who died will be remembered. My mother's sister Susan always remembers the story her mother told her about losing her shoe (a red one) on the way back from India to Liverpool in 1914. Funny how simple things mean so much for memories. I know this story is a personal one but I hope it encourages anyone who reads it.

Fred on joining the Rifle Brigade

Fred on joining the Rifle Brigade

Fred Birtwistle's DCM Medal

Fred Birtwistle's DCM Medal









Related Content:







Can you help us to add to our records?

The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them


Did your relative live through the Great War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?

If so please let us know.

Do you know the location of a Great War "Roll of Honour?"

We are very keen to track down these often forgotten documents and obtain photographs and transcriptions of the names recorded so that they will be available for all to remember.

Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.




Celebrate your own Family History

Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Great War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.

Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.














The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.

This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.

If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.


Hosted by:

The Wartime Memories Project Website

is archived for preservation by the British Library





Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved -

We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.