tuesday 22nd june 1915.ashton barracks
pte john holland reported himself to ashton barracks on crutches,he was offering himself for further service,talking through clenched teeth because of the great pain,he asked for one last go at the bosche,instead,he was granted an extension to his convalescent leave.
pte hollands story. 12th march 1915
we were fighting continuously for three days at neuve chapelle,on the third day we were going up to the trenches to reinforce the ranks that had been badly cut up,we were given the order to charge the germans,when i was in the open,i was struck by a heavy shell on the left leg,which nearly carried the limb away,i lost consiousness and lay bleeding on the ground,i was awoken by a pain in my side,and discovered that i had been shot as well,i realised that unless i do something ime going to bleed to death,my leg was almost hanging off and i was covered in mud,a mate lay nearby with half his head blown away,by the same shell,i saw the ruins of a hostelry in the distance,and managed to crawl to it,there were two wounded men sheltering there,they bandaged me up and six hours later the stretcher bearers found me,they were going to leave me because they were absolutely exhausted but i gave them a tin of butter and two loaves,that i had in my greatcoat,and they took me to hospital,if the pain from the bullet in my side hadnt woke me up,i would have bled to death on the battlefield,they amputated my leg at 13th gen hospital,bolougne,and due to gangrene,they took a bit more off,i also had frost bite in my other leg,which was more painful than the amputated one,i was very very ill in st bartholomews hospital,london,they sent for my wife,and i said my prayers,she remained for three days until the crisis passed,ime a lucky man.
ime the only ashton man who has returned home with one leg,the only other ashton man who lost a leg,died as a POW in germany,he was pte a.ashton
pte 2387 john holland
enl 11-8-14
aged 30
formerly a time expired lancs fusilier[pte 7213]veteran of the boer war
46 brook st,ashton
wife sarah,jane
three children,mary,beatrice/john/ann,eileen
discharged from the army,on 12th aug 1915
awarded SWB 433433
armlet Nob67097 sent to the chief constable of ashton
pte 755 albert ashton
2nd manchesters
25 england st,ashton
aged 27
later buried in cologne southern cemetery,germany
