kingo Posted 3 August , 2005 Share Posted 3 August , 2005 New poster researching my great uncle 9871 L/cpl Joseph Henry Henshall A coy 18bn Manchester Regiment KIA 28/08/1918. The 18th were disbanded in Feb 1918 with the remnants going to the 17th Entrenching Bn. Were the entrenching bns a formation in their own right or did the 17th refer to the 17th Manchesters ?.At some stage he transfered to the 1/5th Manchesters and died at ligny-thilloy.Any info would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 3 August , 2005 Share Posted 3 August , 2005 Kingo Welcome to the Forum. Can I suggest you have a quick look at the mother site (click the link to the Long Long Trail, top left of this page) and look for the section called "research". It'll give you good background information about what it might be possible to find out. You great uncle's 9871 service number looks like an original "Manchester Pals" one - probably he went overseas with the 18th in late 1915. There's a couple of books that I can recommend. The first is "Manchester Pals" by Michael Stedman (easily available from good bookshops at about £20). The second is the Battalion History which is in a book published by Military & Naval Press and called "16th, 17th, 18th & 19th battalions, the Manchester Regiment". Quite a lot of the 18th went to the 17th Manchesters when the 18th was disbanded. It is different from the 17th Entrenching Battalion (have a nosy round the mother site for the section on entrenching battalions). There isnt a Battalion History for the 1/5th Battalion, but their activities are covered in the 42nd Division History (also published by Naval & Military). Come back and ask any further speicifc questions if necessary. Good luck John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 3 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2005 John,many thanks for the info.I was probably a little vague with my original request (new to this !).I have most of the info and books you recommend and have researched my great uncles military career quite extensively but it the period between the disbandment and his death that i am most interested in.My 12 year old niece is going on a battlefield tour with her school next year and i am trying to write a full account of his life for her to take with her and hopefully visit his grave. will check out the info on the entrenching bns on the main site. Once again,many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 3 August , 2005 Share Posted 3 August , 2005 No problem. Sometimes I'm guilty of telling folk how to suck eggs. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themonsstar Posted 3 August , 2005 Share Posted 3 August , 2005 Hi Kingo Give us the date of death i will look in the 1/5 Batt War diary cheers themonsstar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 3 August , 2005 Share Posted 3 August , 2005 Hi Kingo Give us the date of death i will look in the 1/5 Batt War diary cheers themonsstar. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> 28/8/18. Didnt know you had a 1/5th Diary. Is it a full set? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 4 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2005 Many thanks themonsstar. 9871 L/cpl Joseph Henry Henshall KIA 28/08/1918. My grandfather told me years ago before he died that his mother and father were told that he was sniped at Le Sars but i suspect most grieving familys were told the same to ease the loss.He is buried in Warlencourt so Le Sars would fit in with the area the 1/5th were operating in at the time. I have learnt more in the last 24 hrs from this forum than i have in the last 10 years !.The gaps are starting to close !. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernardmcilwaine Posted 4 August , 2005 Share Posted 4 August , 2005 hiya kingo,have you got a picture of him,john,monsstar and myself all have a picture of him,BUT,hes amongst the men in four group photos,and we dont have a clue which one he is,bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 4 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2005 Morning Bernard, He is on the A Coy supplementary photo 2nd row (1st row being the top row) 4th from the right.I have a copy of the Book of honour with him marked that belonged to my Grandfather.The likeness is amazing between him and my grandad/father.I also have a picture of him pre war with his mother and father outside their house on Sandal street off Bradford rd in Miles Platting Manchester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernardmcilwaine Posted 4 August , 2005 Share Posted 4 August , 2005 hiya kingo,which supp picture,is it the 1st or 2nd photo,can we have your permission to add him to our photo roll of honour,its posted on the forum for all to see,the search button will bring it up,many thanks mate,can we assume that you are another recruit to our manchester group,bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 5 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2005 Morning Bernard, joe is on the 1st photo and you can,of course have permission to add him to the photo roll of honour.I had the privelege of visiting his grave on 2 occasions with my late father and we were the only family members to do so.In 1920 joes father had a small shield commerating his life attached to the family grave in phillips park cemetery,miles platting.Sadly the gravestone has gone so it would be fitting that he is commemerated in cyberspace.they also paid for an insciption to be added to his stone in warlencourt,i will dig out the photo and post it. Back in the mid eighties there was a fire at my grans house on the tripe colony in miles platting and whilst clearing up with my father i found 2 of his medals,a manchester regiment cap badge and his death penny.I also found,and this is where a little more info would be appreciated,what i would descibe as a cane with a silver plaque on it.The plaque is pretty faded and nothing is recognisable on it except the letters J H stamped on the reverse.Could this have belonged to Joe ? did junior Nco's carry canes ?.It would be nice to think it was. Your assumption is correct,after many years of dead ends and brick walls joes military life is begining to open up again and although no expert count me in to the Manchester group !. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernardmcilwaine Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 hiya kingo,thanks for that,harribob has begun to get togethor,photos and info of men of the manchester regt,so any added pictures or info about joe would be great,bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernardmcilwaine Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 kingo,dont know if you have this bit of info,joe landed in france on 18-11-1915,bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harribobs Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 what i would descibe as a cane with a silver plaque on it.The plaque is pretty faded and nothing is recognisable on it except the letters J H stamped on the reverse.Could this have belonged to Joe ? did junior Nco's carry canes ?.It would be nice to think it was. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> it certainly sounds like a swagger stick, you find them as props in a lot of postcard portraits, here's a pic of a pal and his missus and look what he's holding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 5 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2005 Bernard,am in the process of gathering all the info together for my nieces battlefield visit next year.I will try and post as much info as i have this evening and if anyone can fill in any gaps it would be appreciated.Am starting to get the urge for another visit myself now !following in the footsteps type thing-maybe spring next year.At this rate with all the help i am getting here i reckon it could be a goer ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 5 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2005 it certainly sounds like a swagger stick, you find them as props in a lot of postcard portraits, here's a pic of a pal and his missus and look what he's holding <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Harribobs,not sure why,but i cant see the picture.could be these computers at work ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harribobs Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 Harribobs,not sure why,but i cant see the picture.could be these computers at work ! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It sounds like a firewall blocking the link howabout this then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 5 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2005 I can see it now !.looks similar but unless he is holding it upside down the one i have has a curved handle and both ends are missing the (silver ?) tops.No one else in the family has the initials J H and its proximity to the other items still makes me hopeful that it was his. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 5 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2005 hiya kingo,thanks for that,harribob has begun to get togethor,photos and info of men of the manchester regt,so any added pictures or info about joe would be great,bernard <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Further to the above post,am at work now so cant recall the exact date but according to his records (which survived the ww2 bombings) sometime in 1917 he was "awarded" 28 days FP No1 for insolence to an NCO and ill treating a horse (or was it the other way round ?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harribobs Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 I can see it now !.looks similar but unless he is holding it upside down the one i have has a curved handle and both ends are missing the (silver ?) tops.No one else in the family has the initials J H and its proximity to the other items still makes me hopeful that it was his. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> curved handle? i'm not sure then! you'll have to post a pic of it sometime in 1917 he was "awarded" 28 days FP No1 for insolence to an NCO and ill treating a horse (or was it the other way round ?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo Posted 5 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2005 Will try when i get home this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernardmcilwaine Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 thanks kingo, bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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