CLICK ON THESE LINK FOR A VIDEO

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675048358_Lancashire-Fusiliers_Battle-of-Somme_Divisional-General_firing-at-German-positions

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675048367_British-soldiers_Battle-of-Somme_Royal-Engineers_setting-up-machine-gun

Private Joseph Stansfield previously reported missing since May 3rd, 1917, was afterwards officially reported to be killed in action in France on that day. He was 27 years of age and joined the colours in January 1915, previous to which he was employed at the Times Mill. Private Stansfield was brought up at Tonge School and was keenly interested in the Sunday School football team, having last played with the Junction Wesleyan club.

Private Stansfield is laid to rest at Browns Copse Cemetery, France.

Private William Howarth of the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers, was killed in action on September 2nd, 1918. This soldier who resided at 44, Morton Street, Middleton, was only 19 years of age, and joined the army on May 25th, 1917. He went out to France in March 1918.
He had worked at the Don Mill as a cop Packer, and was connected with the Middleton Parish Church and Sunday School.

Private Howarth is laid to rest at Dury Crucifix Cemetery, France.
The Cemetery has 2058 burials from the Great War, 1766 of those are unidentified.

Private James William Aspin, of Lancashire Fusiliers, and who resided at Cross Street, Rhodes, was killed in action in France on June 1st, 1918. His officer wrote to the widow. "I am sorry to inform you that your husband was killed in action by shellfire, and was buried yesterday in a British cemetery. His death was instantaneous. I convey to you the sympathy of the officers and other ranks of the trench mortar battery to which he was attached, also my deep regret in losing a good soldier and a brave man. The deceased soldier who was 37 years of age and enlisted three years prior to his death, and on completing his training served about 15 months in Egypt. From there he was sent to France where he was wounded, but rejoined. He was employed at the Rhodes Mill, and was connected with All Saints Church and School.

Private Aspin is laid to rest at
Le Vertannoy British Cemetery, France

While serving with the Lancashire Fusiliers in France on May 3rd, 1917, Private Fred Stott, aged 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stott, 15, Barrowfields, Middleton, laid down his life.
He joined the army in September, 1915, and went to France in January, 1916. He was wounded in April, 1916, but recovered and went out to France again in August of the same year. Prior to enlisting he worked at the Times No:2 Mill as a spinner.
He played football with the Middleton Junction Wesleyans, and Jumbo Primitives, and for a time was goalkeeper for Tonge. He was connected with the Morton Street Primitive Methodist School.

Private Stott is laid to rest at Athies Communal Cemetery Extension , France.

Private J. Chandler of the Lancashire Fusiliers, was killed fighting in France during the winter of 1916. He was a son of Mr and Mrs Chandler of Cross Street, Rhodes, and was 20 years of age. He joined up in May 1916, and had only been in France at about seven weeks. He works for his father, who is a coal merchant. The late Private Chandler was actively associated with All Saints Church and Sunday School, Rhodes.
A chaplain writing to the mother said: "He was killed by a gunshot wound while making his way back from the trenches. You may be proud that he died like a soldier for his country, and I pray that God may comfort and support you in your great loss, which is also a loss to the regiment to which he belonged. I buried him here in a little French cemetery and a cross is being put up to mark his grave. At some future time you will be informed where the cross is. May God be with you."

That little French cemetery unfortunately got a lot bigger.
Private Chandler is laid to rest at
Combles Communal Cemetery Extension, France.

Charity shop finds rare gun in clothes
A rare First World War gun has been given to a charity shop by a mystery donor.

Captain Hugh Wingfield Sayres.

Click here
for
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=312247

The revolver belonged to Captain Hugh Sayres of the Lancashire Fusiliers, who was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Click on this photo it will enlarge

Captain Sayres, 27, died alongside his dog Nailer while leading his company in an attack on Beaumont-Hamel on July 1 1916.

His gun was discovered in a bag of clothes donated to a charity shop in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, nine months ago.

The donor was never traced.

A Leicestershire Police spokesman said that ordinarily the gun, which was handed to police, would have been destroyed.

However, a Loughborough police officer recognised the rarity of the 1912 Webley Revolver and received permission to research its history.

Sergeant Rich Matlock of Leicestershire Police learned that Captain Sayres joined the Lancashire Fusiliers after graduating from Sandhurst.

In 1912 he was sent to India and in 1915 was shot in the right shoulder while landing in Gallipoli.

Sgt Matlock said: "Hugh Winfield Sayres was a remarkable officer who excelled at everything he did including boxing, hockey, steeplechase and cricket.

"He could have remained an Acting Major but chose to return to his men and was sent 'over the top' at Beaumont Hamel in the mistaken belief that the Germans posed little threat.

"Of course the opposite was true and 19,000 men died that day.

"All his affects, including his gun, would have been sent home to his family who had it engraved again, this time in his memory.

"It is unusual for a gun to have been used in Gallipoli and at the Battle of the Somme which is what makes it so rare."

The gun was made by Wilkinson Wembley and the barrel is inscribed with the words "In Honour of Capt. H.W Sayres 1st July 1916".

Leicestershire Police will donate the gun to the Fusiliers Museum in Bury, Greater Manchester, on 18 February. 2009.

Dave Guest BBC, Sergeant Rich Matlock, and Tony Sprason

Mike Glover and Sergeant Rich Matlock

Click Here to see the BBC Video report Thanks to BBC Northwest Jim Clarke
its a large file so give it time to download

The War Memorial in Victoria Station
Geoff Pycroft, Danny Daniels, and Dennis Laverick.
The soldiers who lost their lives in one of history's bloodiest and most notorious battles were remembered in Manchester.

The Battle of the Somme claimed the lives of more than a million men during World War One.

A service at Manchester's Victoria station marked the 90th anniversary of the struggle in which Allied Forces attempted to break a bitter deadlock with Germany over a 25-mile fortified line in northern France.