This document was produced by the parents of my Great Uncle John Heaton and was framed to comemorate his death in 1917 on the fields of flanders during WW1.
A Company 2/5 Manchester Regiment number 1 Platoon.
I found this during some family research and I am still looking for more information. I know he was buried in Cambrin cemetary and even know the plot number.
Very poignant reminder of your Great Uncle's sacrifice, Bombardier. Made even more so by the additional words from his pal. You may already be aware, but have you looked up the CWGC website for info on the Cemetery, or his Memorial Certificate?
Thanks mate,
yes I have seen them and added them to my ancestry.co.uk file.
I plan to make a short trip to france to visit his grave in the next few months (hopefully)
I have obtained some great information about the 2/5 Bn form the Great War Forum below is a quote from 'Trenchman'
My Grandfather (from Lower Broughton) was in 2/7 Manchesters and I've ended up doing a fair amount of research on 66th Divison brigades and battalions.
2/5 M/crs were part of 199th (Manchester) Brigade [2/5, 2/6, 2/7, 2/8 M/crs], 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division (TF).
They went over to France in Feb/March 1917 and went into what was known as a 'Nursery Sector' in the La Bassee area to introduce them to the harsh realities of trench warfare. If memory serves 199 Bde were in the Givenchy-Cambrin sector on 14 April (I'm not sure of the exact battalion dispositions). Things were a bit alert and edgy on both sides because of the Battle of Arras (begun on 9 April) and the possibility of a German withdrawal or a Britsih attack here. Battalion patrols were active in the morning observing German activity and German mortars were active along the front. In the evening Bethune was shelled. It was also the day of the funeral for Brig.-Gen. GE Matthews (CO, 198 Bde.) who was killed a few days earlier.
Give me a few days and I'll dig out the relevant war diaries. I don't have the 2/5 M/crs diary but I do have the brigade diary and that should cover activity and casualties in 2/5. I'm off to Kew in a few weeks - I'll get a copy of 2/5 diary while I'm their and pass it on.
This is an ecerpt from the war diary for the 13th April although some confusion re the dates unless my uncle was the man wounded on 13th and later died on the 14th
.
On the 12th, the Battalion had relieved 2/6th Manchesters in the trenches in the Cambrin Left sector. The war diary notes The trenches are in a very bad condition being in many places knee deep in liquid mud.
The diary entry for the 13th reads Enemy artillery generally more active than at any previous time since we came into the trenches and shells were dropped into both RAILWAY and LEWIS ALLEYS. In the former trench, 5 men working under RE were killed , 4 outright, one dying a few hours later ( 1.RE, 3. 2/5 men, 1. 2/7 man).
Aeroplanes were very active especially towards evening when 23 of our planes were counted up at the same time.
Casualties 3 OR (2 killed, 1 wounded later died)
Weather: Bright fine day. Observation excellent. Wind SW
Hi, just wondering if anymore info has been found, this was my Dads uncle and we are keen to find out as much info as possible. Any help would be appreciated.
Here is a trench map showing the British lines at Cambrin referred to in the diary entry above.
The diary refers to both Lewis Alley and Railway Alley and it would seem John was killed in the Railway Alley
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