Guest kimbrocklehurst Posted 27 March , 2003 Share Posted 27 March , 2003 I would be grateful for any information that fellow-forum users may have about any of the men listed below. I realise this is a "long shot", but "nothing ventured, nothing gained"! Their names are on my local (Altrincham, Cheshire) war memorial, and extra information has been obtained from the CWGC site: Capt. EDWARD NEVILLE ASHE MC, 8th. (Ardwick) Bn., att.16th.Bn., Manchester Regiment. He died on 21 March 1918, and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial. The 16th.Bn. was, I think, part of Fifth Army, which had such a hard time of things during the German's Spring Offensive; Capt. MYLES SLATER BODDINGTON MC, 6th.Bn., KSLI. He died on 1 July 1916, aged 25, and is buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery nr. Ypres; CSM 250065 JOHN ARTHUR CLARKE MSM, 2nd./6th.Bn., posted as a cadet to No.2 Officers' Cadet Bn., Pembroke College, Manchester Regiment. He died on 1 November 1918, aged 27, and is buried in Hale (nr.Altrincham) Unitarian Churchyard. I have not checked "Soldiers/Officers Died" yet, but doubt I would find much to add to the above information. I am particularly interested in the LG citations, but not having the dates is proving a problem. Depending on what details I type, I tend to get no LG issues thrown up, or dozens! I should mention that I only have internet access at work, and can only use it for personal matters at certain times of the day. I am also partially-sighted so, for both reasons, scouring scores of LGs is not an easy task. Many thanks for any "info" provided. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 27 March , 2003 Share Posted 27 March , 2003 Kim, Had a look through Officers Died for these men and you were right, no further details than you have already. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 27 March , 2003 Share Posted 27 March , 2003 Kim With regard to Ashe, the best suggestion I can give you is to get hold of a copy of Michael Stedman's book "Manchester Pals". It'll give you just about the best story of the 16th's activities on 21 march. Your local library should have one. there is one at the Regimmental archive at Stalybridge library. Nearest copy that I know to Altrincham is at Heald Green Library. Sorry but there's just too much to scan from the book to send to you from my copy. Interestingly enough, Ashe is not in the medal list in the book. Could be it's because he was only attached to the 16th or he might have won it pre-war. Well worth giving the regimental museum at Ashton under Lyne a ring -usually very willing to help. Let me know how you get on - always interested in 90 Brigade (as you'll see below my grandfather was with the 17th) The tip I was given about London Gazette searches was to use a "period". So try search on variations of E. N. Ashe, etc. Don't select a particular medal With regard to Boddington, I suggest you e-mail Annette Burgoyne off-Forum. She's the Forum's tame KSLI expert. A good guess will be that your man is member of the brewing family - might be worth writing to them. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Promenade Posted 27 March , 2003 Share Posted 27 March , 2003 Kim, You may find the following of interest: Captain Miles Boddington ‘D’ Company 6 KSLI Killed 1/7/16. Comm September 1914. To the front with his Battalion July 1915. Gazetted Captain Nov 1915 and received the MC in Kings Birthday Honours [gazetted 3/6/16]. Born Monten House Eccles, 1891. Youngest son of the late William Slater Boddington and Mrs Boddington of Bowden Cheshire. Educated at the Abbey School Beckenham and Shrewsbury School where he was courageous and in football 11 and at University College, Oxford. Took his BA degree in 1913 and at the outbreak of the war was an articled clerk to Mr Alfred Whitworth, Solicitor of Manchester. (The Times July 1916) Edward Neville Ash Only son of Mr and Mrs Edward Ashe. Aged 24. MC Gazetted 3/6/18. You will find an officer group photo including him (3/8 Manchesters) in the Southport Visiter of 19/6/15 and a potrait photo of him in The Sphere 24/8/18 p143. Sorry can't help with Clarke. Regards Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 The Shrewsbury School Roll of Service says: July 1, 1916. Myles Boddington, MC Temp Capt. 6th (Service) Bn, KSLI, aged 24 At School (School House) 1906 - 1910, he was Choregus, and for two years in the football XI going up to University college Oxford, he took his degree in 1913 and was subsequently articled to a solicitor. Gazetted to the 6th Shropshires he became full Lt. 22/11/14 and Captain 31/10/15, was awarded the MC for conspicuous gallantry in the field, and fell in action on the first day of the Somme. He was a member of the Old Salopians There were several Boddingtons at Shrewsbury but it is not clear if they were related. Given his Manchester links he might appear in the rolls appended to the Manchester City Battalions book. Posting a request in on of the threads relating to this on this forum may well encourage someone to check this out. It seems the Times entry may have misprinted courageous for Choregus which is probably something Greek or Latin and of note to Old Salopians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kimbrocklehurst Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 Bob, John, Joe and Martin Wow, what a tremendous response! I am grateful to all for your speedy endeavours. As a consequence of receiving the LG citation dates, I have been able to track down the entries for Captains Ashe and Boddington. Both received their MCs in the King's Birthday Honours. I shall follow up the various helpful suggestions in due course and let you know how I get on. By the way, John, I was fascinated by your article about Tom Brough and the 17th. Manchesters on the "Hellfire Corner" site.. One query; if Capt. Boddington was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme (as stated in the Shrewsbury School Roll of Service), how is it he was buried near Ypres? Thanks again, gentlemen. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 A passing thought - given the Cheshire address and Manchester connections - could Captain Boddington be one of the brewing Boddingtons of Manchester, or related thereto? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 No actual mention of brewing in the Shrewsbury School book, nor for Oswald William Boddington (entered father's business at Stoke-on-Trent) and the Rev Vincent Coke Boddington, formerly a curate of East Ham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 It's very kind of Martin to suggest that someone trawl through the Roll of Honour looking for Boddington, but I'm afraid I have not yet lost the will to live !! I have recently acquired a copy of the real book, at last. When the CD version of the employers list comes out later in the year, I'll gladly do look-ups. In the meantime, Kim, if you fancy spending a day looking through lists of names, the publicly available Roll of Honour book nearest to Altrincham that I know of is at Stockport Local History Library. John (PS: thanks for the comments about my article. Flattery gets you everywhere on this Fourm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Promenade Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 Kim, As you rightly point out Boddington was killed in action in Belgium and not on the Somme. In fact no Bn of the KSLI was in action on the Somme on 1/7/16 when just over 1000 officers met their death - mostly before lunchtime. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 Kim / Joe I think it fair to assume that the compiler of the Shrewsburty School Roll of Honour knew more about dates than locations of units. The extract is taken verbatim. John, I think my dear husband was writing tongue-in-cheek, having watched me plough through the acres of individual names that comprise Manchester Book of Honour, only to miss the one I was seeking. I enventually located him in the book when I found him listed as a bank clerk in the 1901 census, which narrowed the field considerably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 Kate errr..... I think I realised Martin was joking. And, as you say, it is no laughing matter trying to find someone. I've only ever bothered to look up my grandfather - I knew he used to work for the Council's Gas department so found him first time. I assume your search was for the elusive Private Hahn? John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 28 March , 2003 Share Posted 28 March , 2003 John, Hahn it was and she went through the volume THREE times before we learnt of his bank clerk background and focussed on the banks. It's easy to miss a name. I wonder if Worthington is in there somewhere. He might be. I have browsed through on occasion so I know that thousands of names on hundreds of pages can seem a trifle repetitive. Of course there were the days when Soldiers Died did not exist on CD............. I never cease to be amazed at the indexing work which the family history brigade (of the genealogy division?) seem to thrive upon. I do think at times that we approach purely from the military perspective and do not realise how much help and support can be found from the genealogical community. I know from several instances that they can be as generous in their time and effort as we can be on this forum. One expert genealogist kindly spent time driving around Anglesey on Kate's behalf (and turned up some invaluable material about Hahn). Then she asked where to turn for help with her Gt. Uncle who had served with the 23rd AIF, and didn't know where to start. We found her a unit history and steered her in the direction of the AWM in Canberra who provided his service record. Then she mentioned her Welsh speaking grandmother who nursed in the middle east & Salonika. For me it was a delight to return her favour by tracking her TFNS service record at Kew and post a copy on. I think the message here is that we can learn an awful lot from the genealogists, and vice versa, because we tend to approach problems from different angles. I still don't envy anyone who has to wade through the Manchester book. A CD with index will still be a desirable buy for those of us who have access to the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Burgoyne Posted 29 March , 2003 Share Posted 29 March , 2003 Hi Kim The 6th K.S.L.I. made a raid on German trenches in front of Railway Wood sector on the night of 29th/30th June 1916. It had been intended to use gas but the wind was not right so the use of the gas was cancelled. This gas was released at 2.45 a.m. on 1st July, the Germans retaliates until 3.45 a.m. with Guns of all kinds,plus gas. Capt. Boddington and Capt. Burrough were killed. Regards Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 29 March , 2003 Share Posted 29 March , 2003 Martin I think you are right about the genealogists (at least about the desire for lists and databases), and how we can help each other. During my research, I did a Google search on one of my guys (an unusual name). Turned up on personal family history research project. We swapped info to mutal benefit - but she mentioned that she'd built a database of 50,000 names (this is not a typing mistake !) of the family all going back to two brothers in the 1700s. The other story is of more direct interest to Forum users with an interest in North Cheshire. Theres a very good family hisotry based website at www.carlscam.com. Carl is a genealogist but has photographed many of the war memorials in the area - with searchable list of names (of course). I've never met carl, but he was good enough to let me nick his photos for my website (as you'll have gathered by now, I always more than happy to blag stuff off other people). On the original matter, I'm sure Tom Worthington will be in the Roll of Honour somewhere (he worked as an accountant in Manchester) as well as some of the others. But I'm going to wait for the CD. You might do me a favour, though, when you go to Gallipoli in the autumn and see if he is actually on the Helles memorial. Could be he's just missing off CWGC database (and they have said it could be months before they reply to me). John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 29 March , 2003 Share Posted 29 March , 2003 Martin I can't ignore a challenge. So I've spent the last couple of hours going through the book. I don't think Worthington is there. There are 2 T Worthingtons - but neither feel right for being my man. One worked for a Salford company, not Manchester and the other is listed for Manchester Corporation Tramways Department. I did, however, spot one of my men. I had previously thought he might have been a regular soldier, but clearly not. Sorry , Kim - didnt spot any of your guys. But that's not to say they are not there. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 29 March , 2003 Share Posted 29 March , 2003 John, You are a braver man than I but at least it gave you a lead on another of your men so I don't feel too guilty. Roll on the CD index! Aren't genealogists a wonderful thing. I will check the Helles Memorial - especially the addenda - when next there. We stay nearby and I usually watch the sunrise over the Dardanelles and then walk over to the memorial and back before breakfast every morning. What I will do is photograph the Manchesters panels and get copies to you. Is Worthington your only man out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 30 March , 2003 Share Posted 30 March , 2003 Martin I've a total of 19 from the memorials out there at Gallipoli (and this is not the start of a bid for photos of them all). 13 are on Helles Memorial (of which 9 are Manchesters). The other 6 are in various cemetaries, (including Zaccariah Holme who worked for the Union Bank along with Kate's man , Hahn. buried in Redoubt Cem). Tom Worthington is, of course, my only mystery man. Thanks for the offer of photos of the Manchester panels - that'll do nicely. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kimbrocklehurst Posted 2 April , 2003 Share Posted 2 April , 2003 Phil, Kate, John, Joe & Annette Thanks for your comments/suggestions, especially Annette for providing details of Captain Boddington's final action. With regard to the Shrewsbury School Roll of Service, it would not be unreasonable for the compiler to assume an officer casualty of the infamous 1/7/16 related to the Somme battle. On the vast majority of occasions, he/she would have been correct! John, the carlscam website (which I was unaware of) is a wonderful site for someone with an interest in Cheshire men in the two World Wars (like me), particularly the lists of those named on the memorials. It now covers most of (pre-1974 local government reorganisation) Cheshire, and a few places in Derbyshire (such as Glossop). I was in the process of recording the names of those on the Altrincham Memorial, and was then thinking of doing the same with other memorials in my area; your suggestion, and Carl's endeavours, have saved me a lot of time and effort - I'm very grateful! In view of my less- than- perfect vision (no chance of getting through an Army medical!), I will probably take up your generous offer to do "look-ups" when the CD is issued. Thanks again, everyone. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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