Soldiers of the Great War (1914

Soldiers of the Great War

(1914 - 18)

Introduction

The immediate cause of the Great War was the assassination in Sarajevo of the Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, by Bosnian student, Gavrilo Princip, on Sunday, 28th June 1914. In what is probably one of history's most momentous events, the Archduke's chauffeur had missed his turn and driven the car down the wrong street right by the point where the would-be assassin just happened to be standing.

This event merely precipitated a conflict between the major European powers, which by then had already become inevitable. The main causes were the aspirations, fears and misunderstandings of Germany, Britain, France and Russia. All of them in their different ways, considered that their vital interests were threatened.

Following the assassination Austria-Hungary attacked Serbia on the 28 July 1914. Russia came to the assitance of Serbia and Germany to that of Austria-Hungary. Germany then declared war on France because it was Russia's ally and Britain declared war on Germany when it invaded Belgium and Luxembourg on its advance towards Paris.

The British declaration of war on Germany was on Tuesday, 4th August 1914 at 11:00 pm and it ended 4 years and 99 days later with an Armistice, which came into effect on Monday, 11th November 1918 at 11:00am.

It is estimated that by the end of the war the Allies had lost 5,152,115 killed, 12,831,004 wounded and 4,121,090 prisoners of war or missing. Germany and her allies (the Central Powers) had lost 3,386,200 killed, 8,388,448 wounded and 3,629,829 prisoners of war or missing.

	No. 1220 Fighting Platoon of the 3/9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment. 10830 Private Nathan Marlor of Denton, Manchester, is on the third row from the front, second from the right. He was later transferred to the Labour Corps as 623821 Private Nathan Marlor, probably as a result of shrapnel wounds to his arms. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-18. He was the son of Edward Marlor and Catherine Corless and he survived the war.
	Charles Edward Marlor enlisted with the Ashton Territorials (9th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment) on Saturday, 10 October 1914 and he was allocated service number, 2322. By Sunday, 5 December 1915 he had been promoted to the rank of Corporal. He was posted to Egypt and his entry into a theatre of war was on Monday, 5 July 1915 and his medal card shows that this was Theatre 2b, which was the Balkans including the Gallipoli peninsular in Turkey. Following the allied withdrawal from Gallipoli at the end of 1915 he was posted to France. At the beginning of 1917 Territorial soldiers were allocated new six-digit service numbers and his was 350735. The War Diary of the 1/6th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment for February 1918 records that a draft of men were arriving from the 1/9th Battalion. It seem that the 1/9th and the 2/9th were merged and this produced a surplus of men who were transferred to the 6th Battalion. It must have been around this time (February 1918) that Charles Edward Marlor was transferred from the 9th to the 2/6th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. He was serving with the 2/6th Battalion when he was killed. The circumstances are that the Allied Fifth Army, of which the Manchester Regiment was a part, was driven back across the former Somme battlefields during March and April 1918. Surviving records concerning his death conflict. His medal card states that he was killed in action between the 21 and 31 March 1918. In contrast to this, the Record of Soldiers who died in the Great War states that he died of wounds on the 26 March 1918. This conflicts with him having no known grave. This suggests two possibilities, the first being considered to be the most likely. He was killed in action, possibly on Thursday, 21 March 1918 when the German offensive began. He was wounded and taken to a dressing station where he was abandoned when the Allied Fifth Army was forced to retreat. When its position was overrun by the Germans he became a prisoner of war. While a prisoner, he died of his wounds and the Germans buried him without making records. Either way, he has no known grave and consequently he is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial. His official date of death is given as Tuesday, 26 March 1918. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-18. Charles was the son of Edward Marlor and Catherine Corless of Denton, Manchester.
	A group of Guardsmen serving with the Grenadier Guards. Second from the right is 33474 Guardsman Samuel Marlor who was the son of Edward Marlor and Catherine Corless of Denton, Manchester. He survived the war.
	33474 Guardsman Samuel Marlor serving with the Grenadier Guards. He was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-18.
	33870 Private Samuel Marlor who served with the Border Regiment and then with the Labour Corps. He was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-18. He was the son of Frank Marlor and Martha Harrison of Denton, Manchester, and he survived the war.
	72215 (later 70243 and 1008305) Driver Frank Grimshaw who served with the Royal Field Artillery. He enlisted at Ashton-under-Lyne on the 9 January 1915 for 3 years' Army Service and 9 years' Reserve Service. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-18. He survived the war and was discharged as physically unfit on the 8 April 1921. He was the son of Charles Grimshaw and Ellen Campbell of Droylsden, Manchester.
	72215 (later 70243 and 1008305) Driver Frank Grimshaw who served with the Royal Field Artillery.
	An unidentified sergeant serving with the Manchester Regiment. He was a professional soldier and this photograph was taken prior to the outbreak of the war while he was serving in India. It was taken by S. Dhundjeebhoy at Trimulgherry. As a professional soldier, it is possible that he was in the British Expeditionary Force (the Old Contemptibles), which went to France shortly after the commencement of hostilities. His fate is unknown but it is unlikely that he survived.
	Standing, Alexander 'Alex' Whitehead, son of James Whitehead and Jane Whiteley of Bradford, Manchester. 2835 (later 300620) Private Alexander Whitehead served with the 1/8th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. He enlisted on the 25 September 1914 and he was one of the very few to serve throughout the Great War and survive. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-18. The identity of the seated soldier is unknown. His regiment is unknown and it is not known if he survived.
	A corporal and private serving with the Manchester Regiment, both of whom are unidentified. Note that the private has no cap badge. Their fate is unknown.
	Two soldiers serving with the South Lancashire Regiment. The seated soldier is Albert Braddock of Manchester, but the identity of the other soldier is unknown. Both were professional soldiers and this photograph was taken prior to the outbreak of the war while they were serving in India. It was taken by N D Batra at Quetta. 15195 (later 3644831) Private Albert Braddock also fought in the Great War and he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20. In 1919 he was also awarded a medal for serving on the North West Frontier in India. The fate of the other soldier is unknown.
	This soldier is the same as the one standing in the previous photo. The tunic he is wearing is typical of those worn during the Great War.
	201627 Private George Norman H 'Norman' Watson who served with the 3/4th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. Aged 19 years, he enlisted at Leicester on Tuesday, 12th October 1915 and on Friday, 22nd October 1915 he was posted to Belton Park for basic training. He was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-18. He survived the war in spite of being wounded and sent back to the front.
	A group of soldiers serving with "B" Company of the 1/6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). Back row, left to right: Alfred Arnold Simpson, Joseph Wainwright Waterhouse, George Barnes, James Edward Hamer, and Christopher Niven. Middle row, left to right: Albert Richardson, George Henry Waterhouse, Harry Gordon Benstead and Joseph Barnes. Front row: Crouching, Arthur Marchington, and, seated, the gentleman with whom they were billeted. It is likely that the photograph was taken somewhere in Luton in late September or early October 1914 before the 1/6th Battalion left for France in February 1915.
	Commemorative photograph for Private Edgar Wilks Thorp, who was killed in action at Gallipoli on the 15 October 1915, aged 36 years. 22961 Private Edgar Wilks Thorp, , 9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), son of John and Lavinia Thorp of Shipley, Yorkshire, husband of Ann Thorp née Longson of Brierley Green, Bugsworth. Buried at Green Hill Cemetery, Turkey, Reference I.C.1. From left to right, Edgar, Elizabeth, Phyllis, Marion, Joseph, Gladys, May, Leslie (in his mother's arms) and Ann, widow of Edgar Wilks Thorp. The couple were married in the Chapel-en-le-Frith District in 1905.

Photographs: Author's Collection