Help needed - 5th battalion Manchester Regiment ( Wigan Territorials )

[Hill]

Background - My grandfather, William Ince, of Wallgate, Wigan, served in WW1. Family history states he went to Gallipoli, was evacuated to Egypt, and served out his service there. Two local regiments seem to fit the bill - 9 batt Lancashire Fusiliers ( Bury ), and 5 batt The Manchesters ( Wigan ). Family members cannot help to ID his regiment, and the National Archives have twenty nine William Ince's, the majority without full records. However, I do have a copy of a photograph of William in uniform. Because of his circumstances, I suspect he was a member of The Manchesters.

Specific query - The photo is not that good due to age. The cap is at an awkward angle, and the badge cannot be seen fully, although it appears to be light in colour, possibly silver ( please be aware the photo is old black and white ).   However, under a magnifying glass, he does seem to have numbers on his left eppulette ( left shoulder is forward in the photo ). The two numbers visible appear to be 1 and 3.  Did the 5th battalion wear such numbers on any of their uniforms. His photo is obviously a posed shot done in a studio.

I would appreciate any help re this query.

[sphinx]

Hello,

Simply put - NO - they didnt wear 1 or 3.

He is more than likely 5th (TF) Bn. Manchester Regiment, but just post the photo and we will have a look.

regards

[Pete Th]

He's probably Private 1325 William Ince, 1st/5th Manchester Regiment, later renumbered 200090. He landed at Gallipoli on 6th May 1915, which coincides with the 1st/5th (TF) Manchesters date of entry.

I could only find one other William Ince in the Manchester Regiment and he didn't serve in Gallipoli.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Pete

[Gingerfreak]

As Pete has said, there is one William Ince that served with the 1/5th Battalion. This is the information I have on him.
He was born in 1884. He enlisted at the age of 19 as a territorial in 1913 at Wigan Drill Hall. With all probability he would have signed on for four years. That was the most common terms of service, there were options to take 1,2,3 or 4. Four years was the most common length of time.

He would have attended two camps. One at Canarvon and the other a year later at Aldershot. His early war service number was 1325. In 1917 the TF were issued with 6 figure numbers. Men who served with the 1/5th, 2/5th and 3/5th all had numbers from 20000 - 250000.

His parents lived at 19 Douglas Street, Newtown, Pemberton. Just outside Wigan. He was a collier by trade, employed in the Garswood Hall Collieries in Bryn. He was on of the 'Original' members of the Battalion who travelled to Egypt. They left the UK on the 10th September 1914 and went to Egypt, arrivind on the 24th September 1914. Some medal cards have these dates written on them by mistake. They spent the next six months training and carrying out guard duty.
He left Egypt on the 3rd May 1915. The battalion travelled to Gallipoli on the Derflinger, or as it was nicknamed 'The Dirtflinger'. The battalion landed on W beach on 06 May 1915. This is thier disembarkation date. He was wounded in the shoulder (Right, rear) on or around the 4th June 1915. This was a Corps sized frontal assault across the whole penninsula. The task was to attack the Turkish lines and hold them. He was evacuated from Gallipoli to the hospital in Malta.

He was reported as 'Wounded' in the Wigan Observer on 27th July 1915,pg3. There is a photograph of William with the press cutting. He is also reported as a casualty in the Wigan Observer on 31st July 1915 pg8.

He returned to the unit and continued to serve with them until the wars end. He was disembodied on the 15th January 1919.