12th manchesters.hill 60

[mack]

ptes 5677 willie france and 5671 percy hibbert and cpl 5672 walter wardle were all pals from the village of little hayfield in derbyshire,willie was a spinner at clough mill,percy worked at wood printworks and walter worked for the calico printers at birch vale,all were of the same age[21/22yrs old]they enlisted and trained togethor and moved over to france at the same time,cpl wardle in a letter to percy+willies parents said.
i saw the lads the previous evening,both were in good spirits,the following day[3rd jan 1916]the lads were resting in their dugout,when the germans began throwing all sorts of shells at us,one landed in the entrance to their dugout and killed both of them,CSM coleshill added,they were brave and trusting boys and will be badly missed

cpl wardle was shot in the left side of the chest on 8th july 1916,happily he returned home after the war,sadly without his two pals
percy is buried in menin road south british cemetery,willie is still missing