Pte H.E. Reade 1/6th Manchester Regiment

[whizzbang]

I've done some research on my Great Uncle Herbert but I'm a bit limited in what I can do from Canada. The details I have are:

Pte Herbert Edward Reade
1/6th Manchester Bn
Service No. 57209
Killed 27 September, 1918 near Havrincourt
Buried at Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery

I have his medals (Victory Medal and War Medal), a photo of him with his brother and sister just before the war, a copy of a letter he wrote a few days before his death and the info available on line from the CWGC. I also have a copy of "Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1918, Manchester Regiment". I've also visited Flesquieres Hill Cemetery - a beautiful and moving place. That's pretty much everything I have or know.

Some questions I have:

1. Can I find out when he enlisted and whether he was conscripted?
2. Is there any written history of the particular action in which he was killed?
3. What does the designation 1/6th mean?
4. What else might I be able to find out?!!

Any comments would be most appreciated.

Cheers, Ian.

[tonyrod]

hi whizzbang,  and welcome to the forum, to help start you off try these 2 links
enjoy your stay . tonyrod
http://www.1914-1918.net/regiments.htm
http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/others/arras2.html

my site, with a  small canadian link .http://www.freewebs.com/tonyrod/

[spingo]

Whizzbang follow this link to Pierre Vandervelden's excellent site http://www.inmemories.com/Cemeteries/flesquiereshill.htm
You will find a picture of the Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery and a listing of all the casualties buried therein, including your great uncle.
My grandfather, serving with the 11th battalion, was killed on the same day a few miles north, and buried in Sauchy Lestree cemetery.

Spingo

[harribobs]

hi Ian

good to see you here!

The 1/6th or 1st/6th....

originbally there was just one battallion designated the 6th, based in Wigan. When war was declared and Kitchener invited the territorials to fight abroad, (they had only signed up for home service) the men who went to first Egypt, then Gallipoli, were designated the 1/6th, a number of men stayed back in the UK for many and various reasons and they formed the nucleus of a new battalion , the 2/6th) which fed recruits to the battalion abroad.

later in the war the 2/6th went to fight abroad and the men it left behind were designated the 3/6th

does that make sense??

cheers

chris

[themonsstar]

"6th, based in Wigan"  Does this mean that the 5th Bn was based in Manchester

[whizzbang]

hi whizzbang,  and welcome to the forum, to help start you off try these 2 links
enjoy your stay . tonyrod
http://www.1914-1918.net/regiments.htm
http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/others/arras2.html

my site, with a  small canadian link .http://www.freewebs.com/tonyrod/

Thanks tonyrod - I had a quick look and will definitely set aside some time tonight to peruse these sites! Cheers, Ian.

[whizzbang]

Whizzbang follow this link to Pierre Vandervelden's excellent site http://www.inmemories.com/Cemeteries/flesquiereshill.htm
You will find a picture of the Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery and a listing of all the casualties buried therein, including your great uncle.
My grandfather, serving with the 11th battalion, was killed on the same day a few miles north, and buried in Sauchy Lestree cemetery.

Spingo

Hi Spingo - thanks for this link! I've been to Flesquieres several times but the info in this link allows one to easily work out various figures (which, being an engineer, I am prone to do). For example, of the 589 burials, six are for men of the Manchester Regiment killed on the same day (27 Sep 1918) as my Great Uncle, and overall 85 men there died on that day. I believe that day does signify the start of a major offensive along that area of the front. Cheers, Ian.

[whizzbang]

hi Ian

good to see you here!

The 1/6th or 1st/6th....

originbally there was just one battallion designated the 6th, based in Wigan. When war was declared and Kitchener invited the territorials to fight abroad, (they had only signed up for home service) the men who went to first Egypt, then Gallipoli, were designated the 1/6th, a number of men stayed back in the UK for many and various reasons and they formed the nucleus of a new battalion , the 2/6th) which fed recruits to the battalion abroad.

later in the war the 2/6th went to fight abroad and the men it left behind were designated the 3/6th

does that make sense??

cheers

chris

Thanks Chris - makes sense! I assume there would still have been a 6th Bn as the permanent TF Bn based in the UK, which then spawned off the numerous "x/6th" battalions sent to the front? Cheers, Ian.

[harribobs]

no problem Ian, however i did make a mistake, as pointed out by themonsstar's sarky comment

1/6th Battalion Territorial Force

HQ No3 Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester,

(the 5th were based at wigan)

chris

[themonsstar]

Morning Chris 

[whizzbang]

Anyone know how I can find out when my Great Uncle joined up? I think his attestation papers were burned up by Mr. Hitler...?

[cathyaus]

Hi whizzbang
Ancestry have only released Service records (that still exist) from A - N, the rest of the alphabet is still to be loaded - so there is still a chance that your Great Uncle's Service records could still exist.
Cathy

[cathyaus]

Forgot to add- my husband's grandfather was also in the 1/6th & we are eagerly awaiting for the rest of the records to be loaded as I have recently discovered that the grandfaher's brother also served in WW1 but not in the Manchester Regiment.
Cathy

[harribobs]

i would think that he was a volunteer, judging by when that range of numbers were issued, he didn't go abroad until after 31.12.1915

chris

[tonyrod]

found on my medal search,

THE FIRST DAY OF THE 1918 GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE OR KAISERSCHLACHT

On the 21st. of March the the 2nd. / 6th battalion made a brave and desperate defence. Two companies were eventually surrounded and only a handful of men escaped to join what was left of the other two.

They had been at almost full strength before the attack. By the end of 21 March, they had been reduced to 162. 60 had been killed, the rest wounded or prisoner. By the evening of the 24th, this had reduced to 2 officers and 34 men. During the 27th, now only 21 strong, the battalion joined in a counter-attack which bought some more time and allowed a further withdrawal.

Stragglers and those with minor wounds rejoined over the next few days, bringing the number up to just over 200. A divisional counter-attack was launched on 31 March. It was unsuccessful and a further retreat was made. This was the last time the 2nd. / 6th. battalion saw action as a unit.