Warrington Town Memorial, Cheshire.

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Located on Bridge Foot, Warrington this memorial contains the names of some 1161 who died in WW1 from the Town.

[Kitchener's Bugle]

10

[Kitchener's Bugle]

11

[KevinBattle]

Maybe there'll be a campaign to clean the panels?

Impressive, so scope for Community Service to be involved?

[steandpaula]

Drive past it everyday going to the 9-5, always nod in respect. Diced with death a couple of times, popping over at dinner, on the mad roundabout .

[Stephen Nulty]

Yes, the infamous Bridge Foot roundabout.

If you can get across the four lanes to the memorial, it's a worthwhile visit.

[Fattyowls]

KB

These are excellent pictures; many thanks. I've driven onto the roundabout lots of times and never realised it was there. I find that no matter how hard I try I'm always in the wrong lane so I have to concentrate really hard; it's possibly my most disliked traffic island.

Pete.

[Stephen Nulty]

For those lucky enough not to know Bridge Foot Island......

(The Memorial is at the centre)

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Very true, it is impossible to reach by car.... my advice would be to park on the nearby DTS Store and nip over the bridge.... you are always dicing with death though with the very busy traffic...... but it is definately worth it!.

A great testament to the brave men of Warrington.

[stoob]

Hi Guys, does anybody have any information linking Albert William Crook to the South Wales Coalfields prior to the war please.

[ralphjd]

Albert William Crook has a very large entry in the DeRuvigny Roll of Honour, no mention of coal fields, reads like he spent his entire life in the Navy. Ralph.

[KevinBattle]

Apparently not. If he'd worked as a miner, then a stoker is a possibility, although no doubt he'd have wanted to get away from the stuff!

CROOK, ALBERT WILLIAM. Rank: Stoker 1st Class. Service No: SS/107463. Date of Death: 08/10/1918. Age: 29.

Regiment/Service: Royal Navy H.M.S. Cumberland

Grave Reference: E. CE. 478. Cemetery: WARRINGTON CEMETERY.

Additional Information: Son of Mrs. Annie Crook, of 18, Bewsey Rd., Warrington.

There must be more evidence than simply his name on the Warrington Memorial, what else do you have to ask that specific question?

In 1911 he was on HMS Wolf, as a stoker.

Name: Albert William Crook. Rank: Sto 1st. Birth Date: 6 May 1890. Birth Place: Warrington, Lancs

Cause of Death: Died from disease. Official Number Port Division: S.S. 107463. (R.F.R. DEV.B.5228) (Dev)

Death Date: 8 Oct 1918. Ship or Unit: HMS Cumberland. Location of Grave: E.478.

Name and Address of Cemetery: Warrington Cemetery, Manchester Road, Warrington, Lancashire

Relatives Notified and Address: Mother: Annie, 18, Bowsey Road, Warrington, Lancs

[ralphjd]

Service record card has him as a painter.

[stoob]

Hi guys, many thanks for your efforts fully appreciated, there's a few errors on our memorial, and he's on the no known regiment plaque, so feasible it's A W Cook and not A W Crook as listed. Hopefully pick something up in the local newspapers but once again many thanks.

[KevinBattle]

Where do you have this Albert William C®ook listed, and why to South Wales coalfields?

Where is "our Memorial"?

There is only one CWGC record for Albert William Cook

COOK, ALBERT WILLIAM. Rank: Trooper. Service No: 1962. Date of Death: 19/04/1917. Age: 26.

Regiment/Service: Imperial Camel Corps (Australian) 1st Australian Bn.

Panel Reference: Panel 59. Memorial:

JERUSALEM MEMORIAL Additional Information:Son of Thomas and Rachel A. Cook, of Watt St., Box Hill, Victoria, Australia.

and he has even less links, except as a "Digger" or may have been to NEW South Wales.......

[stoob]

Hi Kevin, - A W Crook listed on the Abertillery Memorial, Monmouthshire, probably on the unknown regiments plaque with no service number, get back to you if it's different, many thanks for your response fully appreciated.

[SusanW]

KB, Thank you for taking the trouble to photograph all the names on the Memorial and posting them here.  I've just discovered the fate of one of my gg uncles, Alfred Wilcock.  He died on the Somme in July 1916 whilst serving with the South Lancs. I was pleased to see his name commemorated there.

[bazunitec]

Just a quick addition to this thread... I have recently come across this photo of the War Memorial, taken just after it was erected in 1925 (It says so on the rear!)

 

There have also been a few names added to the memorial since this original post was made, including my Great Uncles name, George Henry Woodey, who died at Aubers Ridge on May 9th 1915

[Stephen Nulty]

The memorial is in an area where they are strengthening the banks if the River Mersey (which runs just behind it), Most of it has been dismantled while the work takes place and it has just been reported that 2 time capsules have been found by the builders

 

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/17528759.historic-finds-uncovered-during-memorial-work/

 

 

[Buffnut453]

Is there any equivalent to the "St.Helens Rolls of Honour" for Warrington?  I suspect I may have some relatives on the Warrington memorial but it's hard to know when all you have is a surname and initial.  The St.Helens website has helped me track down 3-4 more distant relatives who served and died, and I'm looking for ways to repeat that success for Warrington.

 

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

[Stephen Nulty]

I helped with the St Helens Rolls site development about 7 years ago after doing a presentation in St Helens about my Prescot Roll of Honour (Prescot being my home town)

 

But despite living in Warrington for 30 years, I've never managed to get round to researching the town's civic memorial. I photographed all the panels and transcribed the names, went to Warrington Cemetery and photographed all the graves and visited the library to confirm that all the newspapers of the time were available, but then stopped short of creating the website. As you say, there are only surnames and initials so it really is a case of starting at the very beginning to identify the men. That's why I went to the library. There are a few folders there put together some years ago by a local historian and they contain all the press cuttings from the local papers relating to men who died, and also to many who survived. It's a really good starting point for detailed research. 

 

But always happy to do some research into individuals if you PM me the details and I can visit the library to check if you're not local

[Guest]

I have come across this forum and was delighted to find the name of my great uncle on the Warrington War Memorial. He is Sergeant Stephen Bernard Percival who was killed in August 1918 in a flying accident in France. He was an observer in the RAF, having transferred from the Manchester regiment. He is buried at Wanquetin cemetery in N.France

Does anyone know how I can find out whether his death and/or subsequent award of the Croix de Guerre was reported in the local paper. I don’t even know what the local papers were back in the day.

Thank you for any help.

[John(txic)]

Your GUncle's service papers should be available on Find my Past - usually only a couple of pages, though.  FMP has an offshoot called the British Newspaper Archive - have a trawl through there.

[Stephen Nulty]

On 03/03/2020 at 18:12, Anthony Geary said:

I don’t even know what the local papers were back in the day.

Local paper was (and still is) The Warrington Guardian

Edited 5 March , 2020 by Stephen Nulty

[Stephen Nulty]

"On returning from a strafing mission in poor visibility on 14 August, Lt J H Dickson collided with another D.H. 9, all the crew concerned being killed, including his 19 year old Observer, Sergeant Bernard Percival, who held the French Croix de Guerre and Medaille Militaire. The fatalities from the other D.H. 9 were 2nd Lieutenant John Lee and his Observer, 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Millar, a Canadian, and all four men rest side by side in Wanquetin Communal Cemetery Extension"

 

Both of his awards were announced in the London Gazette (C de G on 31/07/19 and MM on 05/12/18 but without any citations