Lance Corporal Frank Heywood 13th Manchesters

[Mark Hone]

Frank was an old boy of Bury Grammar School who was  wounded on 25th April 1917 and died a month later. He is buried at Lembet Road Cemetery, Salonika. According to his fairly brief newspaper obituary, he was a battalion signaller. The IWM appears to have a photo of battalion HQ but it is not available online. If anyone has any more information about him I would be very grateful. I have seen the detailed account of 13th Battalion's activities elsewhere on this forum.

[sphinx]

Mark,

I have attached a photo of the signallers of the 13th (S)Bn taken at Aldershot in 1915 for you.

The original is only 2" x 1" in size so I dont know how it will come out.

Anyway, here it is.

regards

[Mark Hone]

Thanks. I'm not sure that Frank was with the battalion at this stage. He was originally South Lancs according to his Medal Index Card.

[Ardennes4001]

My grandfather served in Salonika with a Manchester Regt unit (returning to France only very late in WW1) and he told me that he was employed as a signaller.  He did not talk about WW1 to family; only talking once to me after I had joined the Army in the 1980s.  He told me more in one afternoon than he told the rest of the family ever.   He talked about signalling, handling messages, morse code, working close to the officers (presumablt in an HQ at company or battalion level?), and living in trenches or coming out of the line for R&R.   Based on "Salonika" I guess he must have been in the 13th Battalion, which merged with the 9th Bn after arriving in France in 1918.  Granddad told me that he was very lucky to miss most of the N France fighting, mentioned Ypres and enjoying R&R in the Tacky Ann cafes..   He also mentioned being based in Bicester (my posting to an MOD at Bicester brought that place name up), but I cannot find any reference to Manchester Regiment units being based in Bicester.  There was a Red Cross hosptal there, so perhaps granddad was injured (malaria??) and was treated there.  Before and after WW1 my granddad was a clerk, so I guess that could be why he was chosen for work as a signaller.

[charlie]

Hello Ardennes4001
May I suggest that you start a new thread in the 1914-18 section and tell us who your Grandfather was. Hopefully someone will then be able to help you further.
Charlie