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Private Harry (Henry) Simpson

​2nd Lancashire Fuilisers, 6456

​Harry (Henry) Simpson, born 1894, was the son of Sina and Angelo William Robert Simpson. Harry was a middle child, with two sisters, Muriel and Elsie, and one brother, Kenneth Roy. By 1911, Harry was a Clerk with the Inland Revenue in Blackburn.

Harry enlisted in late 1914 into 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers. Following training, he joined the Battalion in France on 11th June 1915, in time to fight at the Second Battle of Ypres.

By 1916, Harry would have been considered a seasoned veteran. The Battalion would fight some of the initial battles around Albert in July 1916, but were then called upon in October 1916 at the Battle of Le Transloy.

The Lancashire Fusiliers assembled for the attack on Spectrum Trench. Four companies were in the front line, A, B, C, and D. The Battalion was to attack in 8 waves. The first 4 waves with a distance of 50 feet between each wave to take the objective; push patrols forward and dig in. The last 4 waves following at a distance of 200 feet behind the first four, each with a distance of 50 feet between them, were to dig a support trench 200 x in rear of objective.

10 minutes before zero hour 20 Germans approached from zenith trench with their hands up. 10 succeeded in reaching the line, 10 were killed. This was considered to be some sort of secret signal or ruse.

Two German Aircraft flew over their lines at that point, heading to the rear of the line. They must have seen how full the front trenches were. The 2 right-hand companies filed out of the trench at zero hour, suffering very few casualties. The 2 left companies left 20 minutes after, by which time German machine guns were set up. The whole Battalion was caught in the fire, causing many casualties.

Immediately in front it was noticed at the tail end of Zenith trench, 20 Germans had set up 2 machine guns, and were pouring fire into the Battalion. Small pockets managed to bypass this, and dig in, but were either captured or killed. 1 hour after zero, the attack was halted. The attack failed with heavy casualties. Killed 4 Officers, 62 Other Rank’s, Wounded 6 Officers, 162 Other Rank’s, Missing 1 Officer, 100 Other Rank’s.

Harry Simpson was killed 12th October 1916. He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, Pier and Face 3 C and 3 D.

Corporal Earl Singleton

9th Black Watch, S/11252

Earl Singleton, born 1895, was the son of George William and Elizabeth Alice Singleton, of Victoria Villas, Shear Brow. His father was a Cotton Mill Manager and he had a brother, Gerald.

Earl was born at Holcombe Brook, near Bury, and attended Bury Grammar School. A bright and clever boy, he won two valuable scholarships.  He passed the Junior Oxford with first class honours and distinction.  He was particularly proud of the fact that he was chosen Prefect of the School.  When seventeen year of age he joined a Liverpool firm of cotton brokers and business career promised to be as successful as his educational training had been.

It was from no love of war, but a sense of the country’s need for the services of young men that he enlisted in the famous Scottish Regiment, the 9th Black Watch, on August 16th 1915.  He took his training seriously, and earned the good opinion and confidence of his officers, so that before he was drafted to France, about a fortnight previous to last Christmas, he was a lance-corporal.  He was promoted to full corporal on the field of battle for good work. 

Having moved to the Somme area, the Battalion was sent to attack Pozieres, which it achieved with great success. It was after this battle that Earl Singleton was killed, on 8th September 1916.

“The burden of writing to you lies very heavy upon me, for I have the very sorrowful duty of conveying to you news of the death of poor Earl.  Immediately the battalion came out of the trenches I made inquiries, and learnt from reliable authorities that he had been killed.  His company had to make an attack on the German trenches, which they captured all right, and it was whilst Earl was in one of the captured trenches that he along with his platoon sergeant was killed by two German shells.  You may rest assured of this, that Earl died as he had lived, trying to do his duty.  I count myself happy to have known him, for he has left behind an influence that makes for great good.  His life was an example of the Master’s, and while I feel very, very sorry indeed, yet I cannot help but rejoice in the fact that he has left all that is best behind.  My sympathy goes out to you, his mother, and the other members of the family.”  Confirmation of the news came in another letter, written a few days later, from a Lance-Corporal, who wrote: “He was killed along with the sergeant whilst holding it (the captured trench) against a counter attack by the enemy. It will ease your mind to know that his death was instantaneous, and that he suffered no pain. He was properly buried behind the lines. He was most popular in the platoon, and his loss is felt very much. The platoon join with me in extending to you heartfelt sympathy with your sad bereavement.”

Corporal Singleton was on the Roll of Honour for both Montague-street and Leamington-road Baptist Churches. The Rev. Joseph Farquhar, minister of the first named church, in the Church Magazine for November, says “Earl Singleton was the first member of the church to fall, and he was in every respect a fine Christian man as any home could rear or church desire to have on its roll. He was barely 21 when he fell, and it is the loss of noble young lives like this that brings home to every heart the pity and the sorrow of war.” The Rev. Henry Cook, minister of Leamington-road Church, refers in the following terms in his Church Magazine to the young soldier: “He is the first of our ‘boys’ to fall in the actual fighting, Warren Kirkham and John Whyte having died in the course of training. He was a member of Montague-street Church, but was a regular attender of our men’s classes until he joined the colours. For such as he there is no “sting” in death, and it is good to realise that he died as nobly as he lived.”

Corporal Singleton’s name was also on the Roll of Honour for Bury Grammar School. Mr and Mrs. Singleton attended a special memorial service at Bury Parish Church for the “old boys” of the Grammar School who have fallen in the war in November 1916.

Corporal Singleton was a grandson of Mrs Butterworth, who for over forty years conducted a confectionary business in Church-street, in premises next to the White Bull, which was pulled down when the site was wanted for the new London, City and Midland Bank. His four cousins, sons of Mr and Mrs R. T. Singleton, of London-road, also served in the army.

Despite being buried by his comrades, Earl has no known grave, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, Pier and Face 10 A.

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Rifleman Edgar Singleton

1st King’s Royal Rifle Corps, R/7711

Edgar was born 18th August 1898 and baptized 6th November 1898 at St. James Church, Blackburn. He was killed in action, aged 17, at the Battle of Delville Wood (Sometimes known as Devil’s Wood). His father, William, received the news of his death on what would have been his 18th birthday, 18th August 1916.

Edgar was the son of William & Selina, who had ten children in all, and at the time of the 1911 census, three of the siblings had died. His father William Robinson Singleton was a self-employed cabinet maker and the family, comprising of mother, father, Edgar and an older sister, Ethel, and a younger sister, Selina, resided at 25 Millham-street, Blackburn in 1911. Edgar worked part-time, whilst still a schoolboy, as a warehouse clerk in a cotton mill. His mother, Selina, died in the spring of 1913 at 45 years of age and did not live to see war declared or Edgar go off to fight. Edgar enlisted in Blackburn, at the age of 16, but declared his age as 19 on the Attestation form. He was sent to Winchester the following day where he joined the King's Royal Rifle Corps. Whilst serving on the Western Front, he met his brother, Corporal Harry Singleton, also to be killed in action at a similar place in time. He also had two other brothers serving with the colours, one being a Petty Office in the Navy.

Edgar’s father, William, received his three medals 11th June 1921, 5 years after the death of his son.

Edgar Singleton is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Pier and Face 13 A and 13 B which bears the names of over 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South

African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

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Private John Robert Singleton

1st East Lancashire Regiment, 18630

John Robert Singleton, born 1894, was the son of John and Mary Jane Singleton of 170 Audley Range (later 58 Mary-street), Blackburn. His father was a tallow refiner at the local mill, where John also worked for a time, before finding work at Shaw’s Brick Works in Darwen before the war came.

John enlisted into the 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment in January 1915, and spent six months training to prepare himself for the onslaught of trench warfare. He joined the Battalion as a replacement in June 1915, in time to fight in the Second Battle of Ypres. By 1916, John would have been considered a veteran.

John survived the first day of the Battle of the Somme, one of only 150 unscathed (of 1000 in a battalion). It would be October 18th when John was finally killed, at the Battle of Le Transloy.

The battalion history reads:
The ground was in the most appalling condition ; heavy rain had fallen for weeks and continued throughout the attack, with the result that the terrain was a vast lake of mud, pitted with shell-holes. The night was pitch black and the enemy's line was extremely vague ; German trench maps had been issued, but they were of little use for the German line really consisted of detached machine-guns in shell-holes. At zero hour a barrage was put down on Dewdrop trench which lasted for 41 minutes. At the same time the battalion and the 1st Rifle Brigade floundered into the mud of "No-Man's land."

The men, wearing full equipment and carrying extra bombs, made slow progress; some were utterly exhausted and scarcely mobile, only to be shot down, drowned in shell-holes or rounded up at daybreak.

The advance was by the left. "C" Company on the left had the Les Boeufs—Le Transloy road to guide it.  “A" Company on the right, in the darkness went too far to the right and got somewhat mixed up with the Rifle Brigade. Directly the first wave advanced it was met with heavy machinegun fire and casualties were numerous. Moreover, it was difficult to find Dewdrop and Rainy trenches, which had been heavily shelled by our artillery.

However, from the distance traversed by the two leading waves, the two trenches must have been passed.

No organized German line was found, but heavy rifle and machine-gun fire was directed on our waves from front and flanks, and owing to the darkness it was impossible for any officer, or non-commissioned officer, to organize the digging of advanced posts at the limit of the advance. The few remaining men who had reached Dewdrop, and beyond, withdrew to Rainy trench where "D" Company had arrived, having had many casualties. The Company Commander, then seeing that his two leading waves were practically wiped out, and that German machine-guns were trained on the trench, withdrew to the original front-line trenches.

The situation now, in the front trenches was very obscure. No officers or senior N.C.O.'s of "A" and "C" Companies had come back and the few men who did come back were clothed in mud from head to foot and completely exhausted.

There was no counter-attack by the enemy, though the front trenches were heavily shelled and swept with machine-gun fire until dawn.

The day (18th) was quiet, and after dark "B" Company relieved "D" Company. "A," "C" and "D" Companies then went into support in Shamrock. Patrols were sent out who were met by hot rifle-fire as they approached Rainy and Dewdrop. Wounded men were sought for and a few brought in, also wounded men in the trenches, unable to walk, were evacuated by special stretcher parties after dark.

The casualties of the action were heavy and included all the officers in the two leading companies. In "A" Company Lieutenants R. A. C. Matthews, W. F. Curran, T. A. Ritchie were killed, and the O.C. Company Captain A. N. Scott made prisoner of war. In "C" Company 2nd Lieutenant E. W. Graham was killed and Captain C. Waddington (O.C. Company), 2nd Lieutenants M. Quayle and J. M. Wilks were captured. Company Sergeant Major’s W. Ashcroft and J. Cunliffe were killed, Company Sergeant Major W. Vaughan made prisoner, and the total casualties in the other ranks were killed 12, wounded 58, missing 292.

John Robert Singleton has no known grave, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, Pier and Face 6 C.

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Bombardier/Signaller Thomas Singleton

B Battery, 150th (Blackburn) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, L/8715

Thomas Singleton, born 1894, was the son of Eliza Riches. Information on his father is vague and cannot be verified, however his mother had Thomas and Edward, Minnie and Emily. All of the family were cotton weaver, living at 58 Walter-street.

As war broke out, Thomas enlisted into the local Royal Field Artillery Unit that was established by Lord Derby – the Blackburn 150th Brigade. The 150th (Blackburn) Brigade was attached to the 30th Division and fought in all the battles in which the Division took part.

For the Division, in most cases commencing training near home, the units were moved to concentrate near Grantham in April 1915. There were severe shortages of arms, ammunition and much equipment - for example there was only one gun carriage available even by mid July and even that was for funerals! It was not until October that the artillery was in a position to commence firing practice, a few weeks after the Division had moved to the area of Larkhill on Salisbury Plain.

On 4th November the Division was inspected by Lord Derby, and entrainment began two days later. The Division sailed to Le Havre and Boulogne and all units concentrated near Ailly le Haut Clocher (near Amiens) by 12th November 1915. The 30th Division subsequently remained in France and Flanders and took part in the Battle of Albert, including the capture of Montauban and the subsequent fighting around Trones Wood.

In October, the Division was moved to fight in the Battle of Transloy Ridges. It was here that Thomas Singleton was killed, on 20th October. It was reported that he was killed instantly by shellfire whilst repairing a section of telephone line to the Forward Observation Officer. In fixing this cable, Thomas was ensuring that British artillery landed where it was supposed to.

Thomas has no known grave, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, Pier and Face 1 A and 8 A.

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Private Ernest Slinger

2nd King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 22008

Ernest Slinger, born 1897, was the son of William and Lucy Slinger of 84 Hancock-street, Blackburn. William was a Labourer whilst Lucy was a Weaver. Ernest, at 13, joined his mother at the mill, working as reacher, but by the time he was called for service he was working as a labourer at Messrs Ashton and Frost’s Bank Top Foundry.

Ernest enlisted into 2nd Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, although no information is available to ascertain when this was. The 2nd Battalion had been fighting in France from 1914, so Ernest must have been a replacement after heavy fighting.

Ernest moved to the Somme in July 1916, in time for the summer offensive. The Battalion was moved around 20th July to an area called High Wood.High Wood is a wood near Bazentin le Petit in the Somme département of northern France. After the big British attack on 14th July (Battle of Bazentin Ridge), High Wood lay undefended for most of the day but delays in communication and orders and counter-orders from different British corps headquarters, led to the occupation of High Wood being forestalled by German reserves, which had moved forward to counter-attack the British in the villages of Bazentin-le-Grand and Bazentin-le-Petit. Troops from the 7th Division managed to occupy the southern half of the wood and two cavalry squadrons advanced on the east side to Wood Lane, which connected the wood to Longueval. On 15th July, the wood was evacuated by the survivors and the cavalry retired. The British Fourth and the German 2nd and 1st armies fought for control of the wood from 14th July–15th September 1916, during the Battle of the Somme.

It was here, on 31st July 1916, that Ernest Slinger was killed. He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, Pier and Face 4 A and 4 D.

Private Alfred Smith

9th Rifle Brigade, S/5327

Private Harry Stephenson

8thKing’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, 18659

Private Arthur Stevenson

8thEast Surrey Regiment, 5096

Arthur Stevenson was born in 1892 to Elizabeth Martha Stevenson, a single woman aged 18. In 1901 he was living with his grandmother Mary, a widow aged 53 and his aunt Clara aged 21. In 1911 he was living at 143 Queens Park-road with his aunt Clara. This part of Blackburn was quite pleasant; the house had a small front garden and was situated almost opposite the park gates.

Arthur worked at Kent-street Mill, Lower Audley as a winding master, before the war broke out. He enlisted in August 1914 into the 8th Battalion East Surrey Regiment. Following extensive training on Salisbury plain in early 1915, the Battalion, and Arthur, were shipped to France, on 27th July 1915.

For the next year, the Battalion would gain experience in trench warfare, but generally had a quieter war than most. They were being saved for the major offensive on the Somme in 1916.

In this opening phase, the British assault broke into and gradually moved beyond the first of the German defensive complexes on the Somme. Success on the first day in the area between Montauban and Mametz led to a redirection of effort to that area, for the initial attack was defeated with huge losses north of Mametz. There was a stiff fight for Trones Wood and costly, hastily planned and piecemeal attacks that eventually took La Boisselle, Contalmaison and Mametz Wood.

It was here that Private Arthur Stevenson lost his life. He is commemorated at St. Thomas’s, (Church of England,) Lambeth-street although he attended the Gospel Hall, and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, Pier and Face 6 B and 6 C.

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Lieutenant Charles Stonehouse

11th East Lancashire Regiment

Charles Stonehouse, born 1883, the son of Francis and Mary Ann Stonehouse, was one of three boys and a girl. They lived in a large house off Irving-place, Blackburn.

Charles gained an apprenticeship with Messrs. Briggs, Wolstenholme, and Thornely, in Manchester. He was training to become an Architect. In his spare time, he enjoyed playing for Crosshill Football Club, as well as Blackburn Hockey Club, and enjoyed the occasional round of Golf at Wilpshire Golf Club. He was also a regular attender Chapel-street Congregational Church.

When war broke out, Charles enlisted as a Private into the 11th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment at Blackburn. The 11th Battalion were the Accrington Pals, and they were initially shipped to Egypt.  During his time here, Charles was quickly promoted through the ranks, and, seeing his potential, he was awarded a battlefield commission. He became a full Lieutenant just as the Battalion was sent to France to fight in the Battle of the Somme.

They were positioned at Serre, and at 7.20 a.m. on the 1st of July 1916, the soldiers of the first wave left their trenches, passed through the British wire and lay down in No Man's Land to await the end of the bombardment. This ceased at 7.30 a.m., and in front of Serre, men of the 12th York and Lancaster (Sheffield City Battalion) and the 11th East Lancashire’s (Accrington Pals) who were the first wave, stood up and tried to cross No Man's Land.

Just to the South, the attackers were comprised of the 15th West York’s (Leeds Pals) and the 16th West York’s (1st Bradford Pals). The Sheffield City battalion men had laid white tapes which led to gaps in the German wire the night before, but when they attacked these were gone. The attackers were mown down by machine gun fire, and there was an almost total lack of success here, although one company of the Accrington Pals did reach Serre, but were lost. Reinforcements, men of the 13th and 14th York & Lancaster's (the 1st and 2nd Barnsley Pals) were sent in, but were also stopped with no success, and the attack here was then suspended, with no gains made whatsoever. 

Charles Stonehouse was killed in this battle, and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, Pier and Face 6 C, and also, in Blackburn Old Cemetery: NC C 2457.

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Private John Stott

2nd South Lancashire Regiment, 29666

John Stott, born 1894, was the son of Timothy and Jane Stott, of 3 Minden-street, Blackburn. Like most Blackburn families, John, his parents and his three sisters worked at the local Cotton Mill.

John enlisted into the 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment in late 1915, and following intense training, was sent to join the Battalion in France.

John was with the Battalion as it took part in the first major battles of the Somme offensive, including the Battles of Albert, Bazentin and Flers-Courcelette.  After this, he fought at the Battle of Morval. Having broken through the prepared lines of German defence, the British force now faced a new set of challenges as it was now fighting in much flatter, open ground and approached the distant gentle slopes of the Transloy ridges. Fighting was, as before, severe but gradually the British chipped away and pushed forward. The weather began to turn autumnal, bringing rain, making the battlefield increasingly difficult and stretching men to limits of their physical endurance.

John would survive until 21st October 1916, when the battalion faced heavy fighting at Stuff and Regina Trenches. The following is taken from the war diary.

‘’Very fine day-cold wind, position of battalion unchanged. In connections with operations to take place today our artillery opened a barrage 12.06pm to which the Germans replied about 6 minutes later. The battalion moved forward at once under our barrage.

All companies moved forward in waves of half companies. The frontage of A and B companies was from Stump on right to Cable Trench. The frontage of D and C companies from Cable Trench exclusive to communications Trench running N.W. from point 35. The whole frontage covered a distance of about 400 yards. The actual advance was also about 400yards. Then the line moved forward the spirits of all ranks was wonderful and the men went over the parapet in very fine style. Arriving in enemy’s trench at about 12.15- the objective was easily gained although some trouble was given by enemy bombing parties. Casualties during the actual advance were slight and those sustained were mainly due to men getting under our own artillery barrage.

On arrival in the enemy trench a few Germans were found in occupation, many others emerging from dug outs after our entry – some of those put up a fight but were all accounted for- about 50 being killed-some were driven to communication trenches on the flanks when they surrendered, while about 400 surrendered to the battalion a number of officers being included in this number.

The trenches generally were found to be in a bad state in consequence of heavy artillery fire. The work of consolidating was at once commenced and continued during the reminder of the day and all night. After capture of the trench a considerable number of casualties were sustained by the battalion in consequence of enemy shell fire and sniping. During the forward movement and after arrival in enemy’s trench some excellent work was carried out by Lewis gunners and bombers who moved forward along cable trench in centre of Stump road on (unreadable) and communication trench on left – a German machine gun was captured and several others destroyed.’’

‘’Killed 1 officer and 27 other ranks: Wounded 2 Officers and 131 other ranks: Missing 1 Officer and 24 other ranks’’

Private John Stott is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial Panels 7 A and 7 B and St. Luke's and Montague Street Baptist Church.

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Rifleman Arthur Sutton

1st Rifle Brigade, 11459 / RAMC 41882

Arthur Sutton, son of John and Eleanor Sutton of 75 Livesey-Branch-road, Livesey, was born in September 1893 into a weaving family. Indeed, in the 1911 census, Arthur, his brother and his sisters were all working at Messer John Baynes and Company’s Cicely Bridge Mill. Arthur had been a scholar of the Gospel Hall on New Wellington-street, Blackburn.

Arthur enlisted on 13th October 1914, leaving behind the Mill and joining the Royal Army Medical Corps, most likely as a stretcher bearer and field medic to bring wounded back to the doctors and surgeons operating behind the front line. From his record, this doesn’t appear to be what Arthur wanted, as twice he was confined to barracks for disobeying orders and leaving the various campsites he was stationed at. By June 1915 the Royal Army Medical Corps had had enough of his antics, and Arthur was transferred to the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade. He shipped out to France on the 13th July with his new Battalion.

The Battalion was part of the 4th Division. Following a tour of duty on the Canal Bank Sector at Boesinghe, 4th Division was one of the first British formations to move down to the Somme, where it took over the line in front of Beaumont Hamel from French troops in July 1915.

On 1st July 1916, as part of VIII Corps, it assaulted the German lines from the Serre road at the Heidenkopf to just north of the Sunken Lane on Redan Ridge. This attack was a costly failure, with heavy casualties: some 5,752 officers and men. Arthur was part of this assault, fighting alongside the men of the 11th East Lancashires, the Accrington Pals.

After such heavy losses, the Battalion was withdrawn, but was soon needed again to fight at the Battle of Le Transloy Ridge in the October. The fighting took place during worsening weather and dreadful battlefield conditions. The fighting would continue in the area until 5th November, when British forces would eventually push the Germans far enough away to control the area, and begin the push towards the Ancre Heights.

It was in these dreadful conditions that Arthur lost his life. On 23rd October, as his Battalion was again ordered to hold the front line, the enemy pressed an attack and in the ensuing fight, Arthur was killed. It is unknown what killed him.

Arthur died aged just twenty-three, and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 16 B 16 C. He has no known grave.  

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