16th manchesters

[mack]

3-5-16.maricourt
four men from the 16th manchesters,were killed by shell fire,they were buried side by side the following day,in maricourt cemetery.
pte 6385 gerald,leighton houghton
enl 1-9-1914
aged 17
son of charles+margaret,holly bank,northwich
he frequently wrote cheery letters to his mother,describing the conditions,stating that he was in a dugout 20 feet underground,there were big rats everywhere,some of them were a foot long,our pat[his dog] would have a day chasing these
he was an old boy of sir john deanes grammar school

pte 7551 daniel,patrick,henry burns
enl 25-3-15
B.coy
aged 26
16 abram st,hulme
married miss alice,ann arnold at st.wilfords church,hulme,on 14-1-11
children joseph,anthony 5-2-10,charlotte,may,alice 22-3-12,robert 11-8-15,daniel 21-3-16
labourer
to france,5-3-16
daniel was in wolverhampton when war was declared,and enlisted there,his widow moved there after he was killed,and lived at 12 bradshaw st,its doubtful if he ever saw his baby son daniel,he was born 16 days after he went to france,there were no photos amongst the personal effects that were sent to his wife alice.
personal effects
letters
ID disc
cig case
thimble
2 hankies
2 coins
comb

L/cpl 6509 frank hughes
B.coy
son of john+mary,643 didsbury rd,heaton mersey
clerk
enl 2-9-14
aged 25
to france,8-11-15

pte 7434 herbert,william ramsden
son of samuel+janet,corless ramsden,10 ansleigh rd,crumpsall
aged 22

burial details
pte ramsden II.F.18
L/cpl hughes II.F.19
pte houghton II.F.20
pte burns II.F.21

mack