Private Marshall Heaton, 12099

[Gagial]

Hello. I am new to the forum, so thank you in advance for this opportunity. I am researching for information on my wife's great uncle, Private Marshall Heaton, 12099, who served in the 19th Bn. All I could find was an obituary from a newspaper, stating that "Private Marshall Heaton, of one of the Manchester Pals Battalions, of Durnford-street, Middleton, who enlisted in the Manchester Pals, has been killed in action. He was 23 and enlisted in October,1914, and was one of the signallers of the battalion. One of his last acts was to bandage a wounded chum who had been shot in the arm. He was employed at the Royton branch of the Union Bank."
Any further information would be very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

[Tim Bell]

Hi Gagial,
Marshall was killed in the assault on Montauban. 19th Bttn were the first wave of the succesful attack, followed by 16th-18th and others. He had trained with X Pln of C Company. http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php?topic=4842.0 As Marshall didn't recieve a 1914/15 Star, he must have stayed in UK when 19th Bttm left for France in 1915.  He probably served with 25th Bttn at Altcar, before being drafted to France in the early months of 1916.
Some links "Signaller Marshall Heaton. Marshall, a worker with the Union Bank, was 22 years old, lived at Durnford Street and was secretary of the town hockey club." https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/over-the-top-boys-1034772
"Newspaper obituary:    "Private Marshall Heaton, of one of the Manchester Pals Battalions, of Durnford-street, Middleton, who enlisted in the Manchester Pals, has been killed in action.
    He was 23 and enlisted in October,1914, and was one of the signallers of the battalion. One of his last acts was to bandage a wounded chum who had been shot in the arm. He was employed at the Royton branch of the Union Bank. " http://www.pixnet.co.uk/Oldham-hrg/World-War1/Somme/soldiers/pages/other-regiments/16-07-29/heaton-marshall.html  His parents had moved to "Grasmere", Vicars Cross, Chester.
You will have seen Marshall's remains were never identified and he is commemorated at Thiepval.  Other local memorials http://www.mlfhs.org.uk/data/war_memorials_images.php?memorial=536 https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/55742 and https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/16000 He's also noted on the Union Bank of Manchester Roll of Honour.
There's a Facebook group about Middleton in the Great War. Worth asking there too.

Welcome

Tim

[Gagial]

Thank you for the prompt reply, Tim.
I have one other query, please. In all his records, Marshall is stated to be a Private, yet in the C Company X Platoon link you sent me, he is recorded as Lance Corporal. Why the difference?

Thank you in advance!

[PhilipG]

Gagial,

Welcome.  The rank of L/Cpl could be temporary, even unpaid and seemed to depend on vacancies at the time of need.  On occasion, the recipient of such a rank would relinquish it for personal reasons.

I note that in the photograph to which you refer there are two Lance Corporals.  Are you able to identify either of them as being L/Cpl Heaton?    PhilipG.

[Gagial]

Again, a huge thank you!

I cannot identify Marshall yet, but I will check with my in laws who may be able to. I will then get back to you.

[Tim Bell]

The other L/Cpl survived and I can't find a photo of Walter Alfred Jones.

As Marshall was bandaging a wounded comrade, it is likley he was killed in the vicinity of Glatz Redoubt and probably remains there today.  The men were not permitted to stop for the wounded during the advance and it follows the first chance they has to help was at the end of their part of the assault.  Just specualtion, but if you ever visit the area (which I thoroughly recommend), stop at the bend in the Maricourt-Montauban Road, at the crest of the small hill overlooking the shallow valley.  That was in the centre of Glatz Redoubt.  You can look south towards Machine Gun Wood to see where they came from.

[PhilipG]

Gagial,

I see from the internet, that the Union Bank, Royton, which became the Union Bank of Manchester and later a branch of Barclays, has closed its doors permanently.  Nevertheless, it is still easily recognised as a former bank premises with as you report, connections with your wife's family.    PhilipG.

[Gagial]

I was interested to read that "One of his last acts was to bandage a wounded chum who had been shot in the arm". How do you come across such little snippets of information that can mean so much to us today?