Tracing your First World War Ancestors in the Wigan Borough

The generality are hard handed, hard headed miners, doggish, loutish and ugly. (But I would trust them to advance under fire and to hold their trench;) blond, coarse, ungainly, strong, ‘unfatigueable’, unlovely Lancashire soldiers, Saxons to the bone…

The poet Wilfred Owen speaking of the 1/5th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, a regiment that many men from the townships in the borough joined during the First World War.

With the anniversary of the First World War many people are looking at ways to research their ancestors during that period. Hopefully, this pamphlet will help you to get started and show you how to uncover records and access information about your First World War ancestors. Military: Army

Service records

British Army Service Records, 1914 – 1920 [WO 363]

Searching for service records can be tricky. WO 363 or as they are more commonly known the “burnt records” are a good source of information about the service record of your British Army ancestor but it is believed that 60% of these records were destroyed in 1940 so be aware that you may not be able to find your ancestor. Existing records may contain attestation forms, medical history forms, casualty forms, disability statements, regimental conduct sheets, awards, proceedings on discharge, cover for discharge documents, and index cards. These records can be searched for free at Wigan or Leigh Local Studies or in any library in the borough by clicking on the link below: http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1219

British Army WW1 Pension Records, 1914 – 1920 [WO 364]

Pension records are also a good source of information. These are more commonly known as the “unburnt records”. These are service records for non-commissioned officers and other ranks who were discharged at the end of their service and claimed a pension but they will not contain those who signed up for the duration of the war. Generally, these men received a gratuity instead of a pension unless they were awarded a pension on medical grounds. These records can be searched for free at Wigan or Leigh Local Studies or in any library in the borough by clicking on the link below: http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1114

More advice on searching for a British Army Soldier is also available on the National Archives website http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/britisharmysoldierafter1913.htm

The Archives hold the Wigan Military Chronicle, an unpublished account of Wigan’s military history from the Civil War to the Second World War; it includes two volumes on the First World War and the campaigns fought by the Manchester Regiment in particular. Containing photographs and detailed accounts of battles and key figures in the Regiment, it is an invaluable source of information, reference D/DZA/16. Contact 01942 404430 for more details. Service records: Officers

Surviving records are held at the National Archives. Information about these records is available at this link: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/officerbritisharmyafter1913.htm

Military: Naval

Looking for an ancestor in the navy try consulting the National Archives website at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/

Military: RAF

Looking for an ancestor in the RAF? Try consulting the National Archives website at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/

Awards

Awards of campaign medals are recorded on Medal Index Cards. These records can be searched for free at Wigan or Leigh Local Studies or in any library in the borough by clicking on the link below: http:// search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1262

Records of individuals entitled to naval medals and awards between 1793 and 1972 are available by clicking on the link below. This includes the First World War. http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1687

A brief description of the different types of medals awarded during the First World War are given below:

British War Medal: presented to every serviceman and woman who saw service overseas.

Victory medal: presented to every serviceman and woman who saw service overseas.

1914 Star / The Mons Star: presented to men who were in France and Flanders between 5 August and 22 November 1914. 1914/15 Star presented to men who served overseas between 5 August 1915 and 31 December 1915.

Territorial Forces War Medal – given to members of the Territorial Forces at the beginning of the war who saw service overseas.

Victoria Cross – awarded for individual heroism.

Military Cross – awarded for individual heroism.

Local newspapers often reported an award being given to local men. Wigan and Leigh Local Studies keep copies of local newspapers on microfilm. Volunteers at Wigan Local Studies have searched through these newspapers and have indexed articles about locals who were given awards. The index is now available to search online at https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Wigan-Archives/Archive-collections.aspx

If your ancestor is mentioned in the index, please get in touch with either Wigan or Leigh Local Studies to view the article on 01942 828020 / 01942 404559

Casualty Records

When looking for an ancestor who died during the war it may perhaps be useful to begin by searching the UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 database on Ancestry. This database has been taken from lists from 1921 published on behalf of the War Office. The record amongst other things will show their name, date of death, regiment and theatre of war. These records can be searched for free at Wigan or Leigh Local Studies or in any library in the borough by clicking on the link below: http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1543

Once you have a date of death you can search through local newspapers, these are normally held at Local Studies or Record Office venues, to see if an article was published about their death. If your ancestor was from the borough you can search through the First World War indexes available at: https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Wigan-Archives/Archive-collections.aspx

If your ancestor is mentioned in the index, please get in touch with either Wigan or Leigh Local Studies to view the article on 01942 828020 / 01942 404559 The Archives also hold records relating to hospitals in the Wigan Borough, some of which – notably the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary – received wounded soldiers. These can be searched at the Archives Service, reference HR/Wi/1

Burial Records

A useful place to start looking for a burial is on the Commonwealth War Graves website. These records normally list a name, regiment, place of burial and a grave reference. They can be accessed at http:// www.cwgc.org/

Did they die of their wounds at home? If so, search through the burial records at the relevant Local Studies or Record Office venue. Wigan and Leigh Local Studies keep burial records for the war years for local cemeteries.

Look for their name on a local cenotaph.

Prisoners of War

For Prisoners of War try searching the UK, British Officer Prisoners of War, 1914-1918. These are available to search here http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4722

Again, announcements of British Prisoners of War were also put in the local press. For ancestors from the Wigan Borough try searching the WW1 newspapers index https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Wigan-Archives/Archive-collections.aspx Home Front

The 1911 census is a useful record to use to try and discover what your ancestor’s occupation was before the war. The census will also show who they were living with and where they were living. http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2352

1914 and 1918 electoral register – There were no electoral registers produced during the war but we do have some for 1914 and 1918 for Leigh and Wigan. The electoral registers will show you which of your ancestors were eligible to vote and where they were living. In 1918 all women over 30 now had the right to vote so you may discover more of your female ancestors. To consult these records please ring 01942 828020 for Wigan and 01942 404559 for Leigh.

Did your ancestor do something remarkable in their home town during the war years? If so, they may be mentioned in a local newspaper. Try looking through the Wigan Observer or the Leigh Journal to see if you can find these records. Wigan Observers are held on microfilm at Wigan Local Studies (01942 828020), Leigh Journals are held on microfilm at Leigh Local Studies (01942 404559). It may also be worth consulting the Leigh Chronicle Diary of Local Events for an ancestor’s name. Is it possible your ancestor was involved in a military tribunal? If so, look at this list of voluntarily attested men from the Leigh area between 1915 and 1918. https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Docs/PDF/Resident/Leisure/Museums-and-archives/archives/ LeighMilitaryTribunalVoluntaryAttestedMen1915to1917.pdf

Further files from the Leigh Military Tribunal can be viewed at the Archives Service, reference MB/ Lei/E1.

You may also want to consult the newspapers to see if details of the tribunals were published which sometimes happened.

Did you believe your ancestor may have died as a result of munitions factory work during the war? Order their death certificate to see what caused their death and also to find out if an inquest was held. If your ancestor died in Lancashire use the Lancashire BMD website to find their death at http:// www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/

If your ancestor died in another part of England and Wales then consult FreeBMD to find out when they died at http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ Once you have found their death you can order the certificate through the GRO website at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

Further reading Books of local interest

Leigh and the Somme by Cyril Ward and Evelyn Finch

This book contains snippets of memories of the Somme and its affect on the home front by people from Leigh.

‘Just like hell’: Local men at Gallipoli: 1915 by Fred Holcroft

Local historian Fred Holcroft tells the story of men from the borough who fought in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. Fred told the story through letters and local sources. The book also has a list of local men who died during the campaign. This is the first of a trilogy of books.

The Finest of All: Local men on the Somme 1st. July, 1916 by Fred Holcroft Over one hundred men from the borough died during the Battle of Somme. This book tells the story of the one of the most horrific battles through the words of local men. The book also has a list of local men who died during the battle. This is the second book in Fred Holcroft’s trilogy of books on the First World War.

They lived with death: Local men in the Battle of Passchendaele: 1917 by Fred Holcroft

Passchendaele was a tragic and horrendous battle with hideous conditions. Fred Holcroft tells the story of the battle through the local men who fought in it.

The German Prisoner of War Camp at Leigh 1914-1919 by Leslie Smith

Leslie Smith tells the story of the Leigh POW camp through stories which appeared in the local newspapers. The book chronicles the arrival of the prisoners, the attempted escapes (including one prisoner who was shot and killed whilst trying to escape), and the influenza epidemic of 1918 and its affect of the camp.

Zeppelins over Lancashire by Peter J.C. Smith

This book covers the Zeppelin air raid of 1918 when bombs fell on the Ince, Scholes and Whelley area of Wigan killing 5 people instantaneously.

1/5th Battalion The Manchester Regiment: Killed, died of wounds or sickness, missing.

List of men from the 1/5th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment who died as a result of the war.

Harry Hilton GNR60216 South African Diary 1917-1918 by Edna Hargreaves

Notes extracted from the diary of Harry Hilton whose family lived in Leigh.

Local pictorial souvenir of the war and roll of honour: August 1914 – August 1915 published by the Leigh Chronicle

This souvenir has photographs of the local area during the war including injured soldiers at the Woodlands Hospital in Atherton and Belgian refugees living in Leigh.

A Journey into France: The search for a soldier forgotten by Andrew Bevington The story of Robert Roberts and Harry Bilsbury, two soldiers from Leigh who died on the Somme and whose graves are still unknown.

Books to help you trace your First World Ancestors

Tracing your First World War Ancestors by Simon Fowler

Roll of Honour 5th Manchester Regiment World War 1 compiled from George Derbyshire and War Office lists

Officers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919 including Indian Army

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919: The Border Regiment

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919: The King’s (Liverpool Regiment)

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919: The Manchester Regiment

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919: The Lancashire Fusiliers

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919: The King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919: The East Lancashire Regiment

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914 – 1919: The prince of Wales’s Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)

The National Roll of the Great War: Salford

Enquiry List 1917 No. 14, 1917. Wounded and Missing: Containing all enquiries up to and including July 20th, 1917. first published by the Red Cross and Order of St. John

Monuments of war: How to read a war memorial by Colin McIntyre

The War Front

Pals on the Somme 1919 by Roni Wilkinson My Bit: A Lancashire Fusilier at War 1914-1918 by George Ashurst

Great Gable to Gallipoli edited by Robert Bonner

The Home Front

Fighting on the Home Front: The Legacy of Women in World War One by Kate Adie

Women at War compiled by the Imperial War Museum

To search for these books and others please check out the catalogue at http://capitadiscovery.co.uk/wigan/