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David Crombleholme 21st Manchesters

Started by uncledavid, August 06, 2017, 12:31:28 PM

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uncledavid

Hello.
I have just joined the Forum and have already found out such a lot of information about my uncle, David Crombleholme, service number 19708. He was in the 21st Battalion, A company, 4 Platoon. He died between 10-12 January 1917 and is buried at Beaumont Hamel Cemetery, near Albert, France. His grave number is B71. I found a photograph of his Platoon in the City Battalions Photo Project but as I have never seen a photograph of him, I am sadly not able to recognise him.

I believe he was killed by a sniper, according to letters written to Harry Haigh by Sgt Greenough, who were in the same A Company.
I have found (I think) the War Diaries for the Manchester Regiment on Ancestry but there is so much to read through and I have not yet found an entry for the dates surrounding David's shooting. I have just ordered the 21st Battalion book from the Manchesters Museum and I am hoping that I will find some more information in that.

Is anyone able to give me any more information about David and his experiences leading up to his death or offer other routes for finding information about him? My mother (his half sister) passed away last year aged 96. She always talked about him with pride even though he died before she was born. Presumably her mother (David's mother, my grandmother) continued to talk about him long after he was gone. It is so important that we do not forget these brave boys who died in such a terrible war. I am not able to go to the museum (I do realise it is closed anyway at the moment) as I live in New Zealand now so I have to do every thing online.

Thanks for any help - and for a fabulously informative website and forum.
Moira

sphinx

Moira,

Our member Mack posted this in 2007.

sgt harry,charles mcgreaves was killed by a shell on 11-1-17 along with 5 other men.
ptes crombleholme,hilton,lockett and whitehouse are all buried side by side with sgt mcgreaves,in beaumont-hamel military cemetery.
pte crombleholme grave B71
sgt mcgreaves grave B72
unknown grave B73
unknown grave B74
unknown grave B75
pte whitehouse grave B76
pte hilton grave B77
they were all killed between the 10-12 january 1917.
ptes sam bennett+john houghton who were also killed at the same time,are still missing,along with 2/Lt dunderdale.
these 3 men could be buried in graves B73,B74+B75.

uncledavid

Sphinx, thank you for that information. That ties in with some info I have already. On the Beaumont Hamel Cemetery site, it lists all the men from the Manchester Regiment buried there. I will make a new post with that information in case any one is interested in it. It doesn't list which Battalion of the Manchesters. My friend was in France last year and visited my uncle David's grave in Beaumont Hamel and said a prayer for all the other Manchester men she found there.