3rd Battalion Manchester Regiment in the Cleethorpes Zeppelin Raid

[Timberman]

The following are some of the pictures from an album held by the Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre
file number is MR3/23/71 and is reproduced here with permission please bear this in mind if you
take copies.
They have said 32 soldiers died in the raid but only 31 died.
Although CSM George Holland is on this list he accurately died on the 7th January 1917 of
natural causes .

Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Neil 

[Timberman]

Some more

Neil

[Timberman]

Even more 

Neil

[Timberman]

And the last ones for this topic.
There are 36 photo's in total in the album.

Neil

[mack]

your right about Holland,he was badly knocked about in the raid,but didn't suffer any bad injuries.

but there was 32 casualties,pte 34643 tom stott of 11 collier hill hollinwood was very badly injured in the attack,he died in hospital at Grimsby on 2nd june 1916,aged 19
ime 200% certain about tom stott,it was all over the Oldham papers about him

hes buried in hollinwood cemetery,oldham

mack

[Timberman]

Thanks Mack you are right

The following was found after you gave me his name and is taken from the following web site.

http://www.greatermanchesterblitzvictims.co.uk/index.php?sold_id=s%3A12%3A%221492%2Cvictims%22%3B&letter=S&soldier=Stott&district_id=


Thomas Stott
Rank Private 3rd Bn Manchester regiment
Number  34643
Age 19
Died 02/06/1916
Incident date 01/04/191
Incident address Baptist Chapel Alexandra Road Cleethorpes
Died address Grimsby and District Hospital
Grave details F9-103
Cemetery   Oldham (Hollinwood) Cemetery

Extra Information.

Born on the 17th March 1897, the birth being
registered during the June quarter 1897 in the
Oldham R.D. - ref: 8d/570, the son of George &
Mary Jane Stott (nee Flint).

From Oldham Chronicle April 8th 1916  Page 7:
Private Thomas Stott of Collier Hill, Hollinwood,
was also seriously injured,  Before joining the
army he was employed in the card  room at the
Heron Mill.

From Oldham Chronicle June 3rd 1916 Page 7:
Private Tom Stott, Manchester Regiment, whose home
is at Collier Hill, Hollinwood, and who was
injured in an air raid some time ago, died
yesterday.  He was 19 years of age and before
enlisting worked at the Heron Mill, Hollinwood.

From Death Certificate:
Died in Grimsby and District Hospital, cause -
Compound fracture of skull and right shoulder,
fracture of left leg and other wounds.  Pycemia.

From The National Archives WO 363:
Attested 9 December 1914
Born 17 March 1897

[Thomas Stott is not listed on the memorial in
Cleethorpes Cemetery, nor on the memorial plaques
in Cleethorpes Baptist Church and St Michael’s
Church, Ashton under Lyne.  However, his name was
read out with the others at the service in the
Baptist Church held to commemorate the centenary
of the air raid on 1 April 2016.]
I am most grateful to Dorothy Bintley for much of
the above information.

At 01.30 hrs during the night of the 31st
March/1st April 1916, a bomb was dropped from
Zeppelin LZ61 onto the Baptist Chapel killing 32
soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Manchester
Regiment who were billeted there.

On Tuesday, 4th April 1916, 24 men were buried in
the one grave under a Special Memorial erected by
subscription, one (Bodsworth) in another unmarked
grave in this cemetery is also named on the
memorial in Cleethorpes Cemetery, whilst 6 of the
deceased were taken to their home towns by their
relatives.   The Military Funeral was very
impressive. The Massed Bands of the 3rd Bn
Manchester Regiment, 4th Bn Manchester Regiment
and the 3rd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment took part. 
The 24 coffins were carried on eight motor
lorries, draped with the Union Flag and covered
with wreaths.

Neil

[charlie]

Thanks for posting Neil, interesting stuff.

L22, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Martin Dietrich, was one of 7 Zeppelins that set out from northern Germany about mid-day on the the 31st March who's mission was to bomb London. Engine trouble marooned L22 for 4 hours near Texel while repairs were carried out. Due to the four hour delay which would then have exposed the L22 to attack in daylight if it was to carry out its primary mission, Kapitänleutnant Dietrich chose to find a secondary target on the east coast. According to Dietrich there was thick cloud over the Grimsby area which only allowed fleeting glances of the ground. His intention had been to bomb the Grimsby docks.

Attached is the flight path of L22 and the areas bombed.

Charlie

[Timberman]

Thanks Charlie

That is interesting so they were in the wrong place a the wrong time,
the bombs could of landed anywhere.

Thanks to Mack who pointed me in the right direction for a photo of Tom Stott.

Neil

[mack]

tom stott was the forgotten man in this tragic episode,now hes rightfully commemorated alongside his pals.

what a fine memorial book

mack

[Tim Bell]

Great work Neil,
Mack's mentioned before that many of the men in the Chapel were recent recruits.  I was looking at some service records yesterday and came across 3 of the Cleethorpes casualties.  I think they were all Derby Scheme volunteers enlisting in Nov/Dec 1915, but only mobilised on 28th March.  They must have only joined the Battalion a day or so prior to the raid.
Tim

[Timberman]

Thanks Tim

If you find anything on any of the 32 soldiers that you would like to add
to the topic I would appreciate it.

Neil

[Tim Bell]

William Bodsworth's Medal Roll shows spells of service in 1st, 1st & 2nd Bttns.  He'd disembarked with 2nd Bttn on 15/08/1914.
He was in Nottingham General Hospital in November 1914. List from Nottingham Daily Express' on 23rd November 1914. (Credit Jim Grundy)