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Remembered Today:

East Lancashire Regiment


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Just got "Spectamur Agendo", the history of the 1/E.Lancs for August and September 1914. This highly detailed account is practically a "day by day" history for this Battalion between 22nd August and 9th October 1914.

Any look-ups required, just ask.

(don't forget that if anything is required for any of the other E.Lancs battalions for any time during the war (1st included), I've also got the general East Lancs history 1914-18 available)

Dave.

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Dave

Is this more or less a repetition of the War Diary? One of my memorial guys was KIA on 26 August. I've made notes from the copy of the Diary at Preston so only need info if there's anything of interest to add to that.

John

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Hi Dave,

I have a trio to an officer with the 2nd Bn. Lieut.L.L.Benke, 3rd Yorks. Regt. attached to 2nd E.Lancs.; to France 6 Nov.,1914; wounded 3 Dec.,1914; back to UK for treatment; back to France but again returned to UK (illness) 13 Aug.,1915; captain 2 Dec.,1915; demobbed 1919.

His 1914 star has a clasp although his MIC does not list entitlement.

Any mention in your history?

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Is this more or less a repetition of the War Diary? One of my memorial guys was KIA on 26 August. I've made notes from the copy of the Diary at Preston so only need info if there's anything of interest to add to that.

Hi John.

It was written by Capt. E.C.Hopkinson and privately published in 1926, and ,though it reads like a diary and probably uses the war diary, I don't think it's a repetition.

I've not looked at the diary for the 1st Bn. for 1914, so don't know what's in it for the 26th. This book has 16 pages dedicated to this date along with a sketch-map (compared with 5 pages plus 2 sketch-maps in the official history), so, as you can see, it goes into a lot of detail. Let me know what's in the diary and I'll let you have any further info from this book.

Dave.

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I have a trio to an officer with the 2nd Bn. Lieut.L.L.Benke, 3rd Yorks. Regt. attached to 2nd E.Lancs.; to France 6 Nov.,1914; wounded 3 Dec.,1914; back to UK for treatment; back to France but again returned to UK (illness) 13 Aug.,1915; captain 2 Dec.,1915; demobbed 1919.

His 1914 star has a clasp although his MIC does not list entitlement.

Any mention in your history?

Sorry Terry.

None that I can see. There is a mention of two other Yorks Regt officers who were attached in the casualty list for Nov.1914 - Feb.1915 (one killed , one wounded), neither of them are Benke, though.

Dave.

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Dave

The link to my website write-up for this guy is here

You'll see that the story of the day is condensed down to a couple of paragraphs, but would appreciate you have a whizz through and letting me know if I missed anything significant.

Cheers :D

John

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John.

"In a nutshell", you got it. The book goes into details of who ordered what and when, naming quite a few actions of individiuals, opposition forces, orders recieved (and those not received, or received too late - such as a withdrawal order sent out at 5.30 am, being received after the fighting had begun) etc.etc.

I didn't see anything of particular significance that you have missed.

Dave.

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  • 11 months later...

Dave,

I've just found this thread while searching on Google... Do you know if Captain EC Hopkinson is Campbell Hopkinson?

Hopefully it is, because it would seem a bit of a long shot if there was two Captain Hopkinsons as regulars in the East Lancs at that time...

Cheers

Jon

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Dave,

I've just found this thread while searching on Google... Do you know if Captain EC Hopkinson is Campbell Hopkinson?

Hopefully it is, because it would seem a bit of a long shot if there was two Captain Hopkinsons as regulars in the East Lancs at that time...

Cheers

Jon

Jon.

No idea to be honest - in all my references he is listed simply as "E.C.Hopkinson" ,and even signs himself as such. Have you access to the Army Lists of 1914? You should find your definitive answer there.

If it's any help, this "E.C. Hopkinson" was a Lieutenant when the 1st Bn landed in France and was in command of C Coy. He was later to receive the MC. Also, there were no other officers named Hopkinson in either the 1st or 2nd Battalions in August 1914 (not in any of my lists anyway).

Dave.

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Dave,

Thanks for the information.

I've recently been reading a book by Katharine Chorley (nee Hopkinson) about her childhood in affluent Alderley edge in the pre-War years, and at the end of the book the she argues the war was a watershed time for her in that it marked her entry to adulthood from childhood and that in many ways it killed off the rigid values of the wealthy Victorian society of which she was a part. It's a fascinating account of life in my local area just before the war starts.

But my point in asking was that her brother, Campbell Hopkinson, was a regular and an officer when war broke out, as she describes his leave being cancelled and her father accompanying him on the train as he was mobilised. I searched the MIC on the National Archives site, and the only result for Campbell Hopkinson is Edward Campbell Hopkinson was was a Lieutenant and later Captain in the East Lancs. His father's name was Edward so it might make sense that he would use his middle name. I realised if he was the same man who wrote the account you have it could be useful for my great war local history research.

On balance, it seems likely it is him - the only thing that makes me doubt it is she talks of a neighbour - Dr McElfatrick - having a son in the same battalion, but the two McElfatricks there are MICs for are for completely different units. Perhaps she was just remembering incorrectly.

Thanks for your help

Jon

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just for information...

As far as I'm concerned, this thread is now closed (anyone who wishes to take over, feel free!)

Thanks,

Dave :)

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  • 3 months later...
Dave,

I've just found this thread while searching on Google... Do you know if Captain EC Hopkinson is Campbell Hopkinson?

Cheers

Jon

The E Lancs history shows him as having an MC. Would the citation give his christian names? Phil B

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  • 9 months later...
Guest steveparker
Just got "Spectamur Agendo", the history of the 1/E.Lancs for August and September 1914. This highly detailed account is practically a "day by day" history for this Battalion between 22nd August and 9th October 1914.

Any look-ups required, just ask.

(don't forget that if anything is required for any of the other E.Lancs battalions for any time during the war (1st included), I've also got the general East Lancs history 1914-18 available)

Dave.

Hello dave

I've just discovered that my Great Uncle Henry A Ormerod died in battle of wounds on 25/6/1917 whist with the East Lancs regiment 1st/4th Bn and is buried in Ruyaulcourt Military cemetary. Probably received wounds at Epehy. 12 other members of the same regiment also died within 4/5 days of each other. Can you find out what happened on those dates 21/06/17 - 28/06/17.

Thanks

Steve

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