Author Topic: James Lees / 24th Battalion (Read 8509 times)

andy2 · « **on:** March 26, 2014, 04:29:38 PM »

My great uncle James 'Kid' Lees is on this photo at the front (first man bottom row)partially covered with a fingerprint.

He was born in Royton on the 20th Dec 1893.

His nickname 'Kid' is from his boxing career. His army number was 14788. He joined at Oldham 18th Dec 1914 as a Private, he was made an unpaid Lance Corporal on the 30th Sept 1915 and a paid Lance Corporal on the 3rd Nov 1915. He was made a Corporal on the 9th Jan 1916 and a Sergeant on the 1st Nov 1916.

I have some more pictures that I will add and I also have a medal from Anzac Day Sports 1917 / 5th Army Infantry School and his 1914/15 Victory Medal.

He signed up as a Labourer but I know he worked as a Fireman in Oldham. He had numerous pubs in Oldham after the war and also worked at Platt Brothers Works in Oldham.

grimmy · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2014, 10:55:44 AM »

Thanks for the photos, Andy.

My Grandfather, William Bond Grimshaw, 24th Bn, was also (briefly) a fireman in Oldham. He was actually in the Borough police but was required to attend fires. He got fed up with getting soaking wet, so he left and joined Rochdale Borough Police. I have a photo of Oldham Fire Brigade somewhere - I will dig it out.

mack · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2014, 01:27:03 PM »

the term fireman usually means they were in charge of boilers,the fire brigade were part of the police force in those days.

mack

grimmy · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2014, 03:36:34 PM »

Duh! Silly me. Thanks Mack.

Just out of interest: anybody know roughly when the term 'fireman' was applied to blokes who put out fires? And what were they called before then?

mack · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2014, 04:01:32 PM »

hiya grimmy.
your not being silly,i had the same problem,my gt grandfather was a fireman,i thought the same as you,but some wise person told me that a fireman looked after boilers,it turned out that he was a fireman in charge of the boilers at a mill,fire engines in those days were mobile boilers and required someone to keep them operational at all times in case they were called out to a fire,hence the word "fireman",knowadays they are called firefighters,dont ya just luv the old termanology

mack

grimmy · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2014, 05:51:12 PM »

Hence railway fireman, presumably - the bloke in charge of the boiler.

But stokers on ships. Hmm....

Then I looked it up:

A person who tends the furnace on a steamship or steam train.

Too much info :'(

News: