Soldiers of the Cheshire Regiment – k.i.a. 24 August 1914

[GrahamC]

At 7.30 a.m. on the morning of 24th August 1914 my grandfather, Pt. Ernest John Conway, was one of the 27 Officers, 1 Warrant Officer and 933 men of the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment who marched out to engage the German IV Corps near the little village of Audregnies, on the Franco-Belgian border.

At roll call that night at Les Bavay there were 6 Officers, a Warrant Officer and 199 men - a loss of 78% most of which was caused in the withdrawal.

Three Officers and 54 NCOs and other ranks were killed in action that day and a further 15 Officers and 490 other ranks reported missing, many wounded.

"I had no intention of sacrificing the Cheshire - but I firmly believe now that the sacrifice saved the 5th Division. … It was due to the gallantry of these two Battalions (1st Cheshires & 1st Norfolks) that the Division was able to extricate itself." - Lieut.-Colonel C. R. Ballard the Norfolk Regiment (O.C.).

Below is a full list of those killed in action 100 years ago. Speak their names with pride.

Officers.
Captain E. Rae-Jones
Lieut. C. A. Campbell
2/Lieut. K. T. Frost

" A " Company.
10278 Pte. J. Glynn
9696 Dr. E. Hogan.
9879 Pte. F. Hefferan
7451 Pte. J. Jones,
7317 Pte. T. Mountford
7049 Pte. W. Massey
7510 Pte. R. Williams
7249 Pte. J. York

" B " Company.
6879 Pte. J. Arnott
9060 Pte. W. Byrne
10266 Pte. S. Burkhill
7511 Pte. E. Gooch
10271 L/Cpl. A. Holt
7833 Pte. W. Jones
7805 Pte. G. Morris
10083 Pte. H. Nolan
6986 Pte. T. Pearson
7606 Pte. E. Trent
8720 Pte. J. Unsworth
7462 Pte. J. Wilkinson
7768 Pte. A. Walker

" C " Company.
6932 Cpl. P. Hewitt
7461 Pte. G. Allman
7474 L/Cpl. W. Bone
8069 Pte. G. Coppock
9156 Pte. E. Eaton
7879 Pte. A. Frost
9507 Pte. J. Haggerty
4829 L/Cpl. E. Hughes
5696 Pte. T. Mason
9793 Pte. F. Quinn
6360 Pte. A. Walden

" D " Company.
8891 Sgt. W. Taylor
10088 Pte. J. Byrne
7091 Pte. J. Barnes
7700 Pte. A. Belshaw
8540 Pte. S. Dale
7831 Pte. J. Dixon
7680 L/Cpl. E. Edwards
8036 Pte. J. Feeney
10303 Pte. F. Garrad
7597 Pte. J. Griffiths
7308 Pte. H. Houghton
7579 Pte. G. Holbrook
7411 Pte. H. Hough
10089 Pte. W. Hull
8649 Pte. E. Lucas
7769 Pte. W. McCann
9892 Pte. A. Tye
7257 Pte. S. Whittaker
7835 Pte. S. Whiteley
10169 Pte. J. Williamson
5259 Pte. W. Nicholson

[John_Hartley]

Four Stockport men are amongst that list - John Feeney, William Jones, William McCann and Sam Whiteley.

NOT FORGOTTEN