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15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
The 15th (1st Birkenhead) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment was raised at Birkenhead as a Bantam Battalion on the 18th of November 1914 by Alfred Bigland MP. Bantam Battalions were those which admitted troops who were under the normal regulation minimum height of 5 feet 3 inches
After initial training close to home, they moved to Hoylake. In June 1915 :they joined 105th Brigade, 35th Division at Masham, North Yorkshire. The Battalion was adopted by the War Office on the 15th of August 1915 and they moved to Salisbury Plain for final training. They were ordered to Egypt in late 1915, but the order was soon cancelled and they proceeded to France in the last week of January 1916, landing at Le Havre and the division concentrated east of St Omer. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme at Bazentin Ridge, Arrow Head Copse, Maltz Horn Farm and Falfemont Farm. The division received new drafts of men to replace losses suffered on the Somme, but the CO. soon discovered that these new recruits were not of the same physical standard as the original Bantams, being men of small stature from the towns, rather than the miners and farm workers who had joined up in 1915. A medical inspection was carried out and 1439 men were transferred to the Labour Corps. Their places being taken by men transferred from the disbanded yeomanry regiments, who underwent a quick training course in infantry methods at a Divisional depot set up specifically for that purpose. In 1917 they were in action during The pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, at Houthulst Forest and The Second Battle of Passchendaele.In 1918 they fought in the First Battle of Bapaume, and the Final Advance in Flanders including The Battle of Courtrai and The action of Tieghem. They crossed the River Scheldt near Berchem on the 9th of November and by the Armistice they had entered Grammont. They moved back to Eperlecques and many of the miners were demobilised in December. In January 1919, units of the Division were sent to Calais to quell rioting in the transit camps. The last of the Division were demobilised in April 1919.
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
1st Jun 1916 Under Instruction 
3rd May 1916 Orders Received
23rd Mar 1918 On the Move
25th Mar 1918 Hard Fighting
26th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal
27th Mar 1918 In Defence
28th Mar 1918 In Defence
29th Mar 1918 In Defence
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Andrew Ronald. Pte. (d.13th June 1917)
- Atherton William. Pte. (d.12th October 1918)
- Benson George Henry. Pte. (d.28th March 1918)
- Bingley Thomas. Pte. (d.30th September 1918)
- Bramwell P.. Pte. (d.30th September 1918)
- Brooke Joseph. Sgt.
- Butler Harold. Pte. (d.24th Mar 1918)
- Coates John. Pte. (d.24th Mar 1918)
- Crowe Wildfred. Pte. (d.27th July 1916)
- Evans John Victor. Pte. (d.24th March 1918)
- Flynn John. Pte. (d.13th Nov 1920)
- Foley Bernard. Sgt. (d.14th Oct 1918)
- Fox DCM Ernest. Pte.
- Holleran Robert. L/Cpl.
- Holleran Robert. Pte.
- Holleran Robert. L/Cpl.
- Holme Felix Sayer. Pte. (d.20th Aug 1917)
- Johnston Harrison. Col.
- Kyne Albert William. Sgt. (d.19th July 1916)
- Lee Andrew. Pte. (d.11th November 1917)
- Lightfoot Richard. Sgt.Maj.
- Lloyd David. Pte. (d.20th August 1917)
- Mallen John James. Pte. (d.27th Mar 1918)
- Millar William James. Pte. (d.20th Aug 1916)
- Morrison William Elias.
- Reid Peter Donald. Pte.
- Schultz George Edward. Capt (d.19th Aug 1917)
- Simm William. Pte (d.21st Oct 1916)
- Skeen Alfred Simpson. Pte. (d.4th October 1918)
- Thomas Evan David. Pte. (d.24th Mar 1918)
- Worthington Stanley. Pte. (d.28th Feb 1918)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Ernest Fox DCM 15th Battalion Cheshire Regiment  Ernest Fox DCM joined the Cheshire 17th Reserve Battalion on 20th September 1915 in Bebington, Wirral. He was sent overseas on 23rd June 1916 as part of BEF with 13th Cheshire Battalion (Lord Leverhulmes Wirral Battalion).
The 13th Cheshire's took part in the first battle of the Somme. The 13th suffered great losses at Ovillers- LaBoisselle on 7th July 1916. Ernest was transferred to 11th Cheshire Battalion on 13th July 1916 for a short time and then to the 15th Battalion (The Cheshire Bantams) on 16th August 1916 where he trained as a Lewis gunner. Ernest remained with the 15th Cheshire's and was awarded his DCM for his bravery and gallantry on 25th March 1918 at Clery Ridge (Maricourt area of the Somme) during the German spring offensive of 1918.
Ernest was wounded on 16th April 1918 in the town of Hedauville and eventually evacuated home to recover in hospital. He made a full recovery and returned to France in the late October of 1918. I was privileged to have Ernest as a Grandfather with many happy memories of this man who was a modest hero. Ernest sadly passed away in 1974.
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Sgt. Joseph Brooke 15th Btn Cheshire Regiment Joseph Brooke, my grandfather, joined the Army in 1911 or 12, aged 18.
He was based at Londonderry, Northern Ireland at the outbreak of WW1 with the 1st Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment. For some reason, he did not cross to France until the end of August 1914. He joined his unit at the front on 16th Sept 1914, during The Battle of the Aisne, at Le Mesnil, near Soissons.
He served with the Cheshire Regiment throughout the war. In early 1918, he was transferred to the 15th Battalion of the Cheshires and made up to Sergeant. I was told by my father that he was at the First and Fourth Battles of Ypres. From the regimental diaries etc. it is possible that he fought on the Somme in 1916 and 1918 as well as the 2nd and 3rd Battles of Ypres.
I am proud to have in my possession his swagger stick and a 1908 pattern British cavalry sword that he brought back as a souvenir.
Joseph died in 1957.
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Pte. Peter Donald Reid 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment Peter Reid joined the Bantam 15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment in 1914 at 30 years old. He was a father of 3 children and a miner and answered the call to arms. Unlike two of his brothers who were Killed in action with the Royal Navy in 1914 and DLI in 1915, another two Brothers survived their service as a Royal Navy Submariner) and my great grandfather in another Bantam Battalion in the DLI. Peter survived WW1 and WW2 passing on in 1951.
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Pte. Wildfred Crowe 15th Battalion Cheshire Regiment (d.27th July 1916) Private Wilfred Crowe serving with the 15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment died on 27th of July 1916 aged 19.
He was the son of Thomas and Harriet Crowe, Andreas, Ramsey, Isle of Man. He is remembered with honour at the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. John Coates 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment (d.24th Mar 1918) John 260267 was believed to be 21 years of age when he died in action. He was the second son of George and Mary Coates of 24 Well Lane, Rock Ferry, Wirral.
On 6th of July 1916, John was awarded a wound stripe, but I don't know in which battle this injury was incurred.
He is remembered at the Pozieres Memorial and on the war memorial in Port Sunlight, whence his family originated.
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Col. Harrison Johnston 15th Battalion Cheshire Regiment Johnston Harrison served with the 15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. His diary was published as Extracts from an officer's diary, 1914-1918, being the story of the 15th and 16th Service Battalions, the Cheshire Regiment (originally Bantams) by Geo Falkner & Sons in 1919.
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L/Cpl. Robert Holleran 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment Family memories tell us that my Grandfather, Robert Holleran, was wounded and taken POW in 1918 in what I believe was in the Maricourt area.
He survived the war and died in 1954.
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Pte. David Lloyd 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment (d.20th August 1917) David Lloyd was one of 12 children. Because of the lack of work in Cardiganshire at the time nearly all the children left for London to work in the dairy trade including David.
My grandmother was the eldest and helped bring up her siblings. When David prepared to leave for war my grandmother walked from her home Esgair garn down to the village to see him off. She was heavily pregnant at the time and the strain and worry brought on the birth of her daughter (my mother)a month early.
David earned the Victory Medal and the British Empire Medal
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Sgt. Albert William Kyne 15th Btn Cheshire Regiment (d.19th July 1916) Albert Kyne served with the 15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. I have no story as my relatives have died and through bad wills my family history is now in the hands of people who do not care. I, therefore, do not have any of the 3 medals he would have been awarded according to my research. If anyone has any memories or knew him or friends of his in the 15th Cheshires I would be interested to hear them. I only know when he died and that he was commemorated on Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. William Atherton 15th Battalion Cheshire Regiment (d.12th October 1918) William Atherton served with the 15th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, he was awarded the British war medal and Victory medal.
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Pte. Alfred Simpson Skeen 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment (d.4th October 1918) Alfred Skeen was my great grandfather. He had moved to the USA in 1903 but returned to England and was the only one of 5 brother's who didn't return from WW1.
Two brothers travelled from the USA to Canada to join the Canadian Forces and two registered with the American Forces. He left 7 children including my grandfather David who was the third child aged just 11 years old. My father has Alfred as his second name but didn't know why, now he knows.
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Sgt. Bernard Foley 15th Battalion Cheshire Regiment (d.14th Oct 1918) Barney Foley was part of the 15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, one of the Bantam Battalions. He was pony driver underground in the Ryhope Pit before joining the War. He lived with his mother, father and sister Mary in Ryhope, Sunderland. As he was unmarried he left his keeper ring with his mother when he left for the war. Unfortunately, he was never to return and collect his ring. His mother passed it to his sister Mary, who then passed it to her daughter Margaret (Peggy), my Nana. She is 92 and still has it today.
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Pte. John Victor Evans 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment (d.24th March 1918) Son of John and Maria Evans, 60 Love Lane, Denbigh.
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Pte. Ronald Andrew 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment (d.13th June 1917) Ronald Andrew was the son of Edwin And Margaret Alice Andrew of 41 Burnley Road, Waterfoot, Lancashire. He was an old boy of Bacup & Rawtenstall Grammar School and had attested aged 18 years and 10 months (attestation dated 7th Jun 1916 and approved for service 29th of September 1916.) Prior to service Ronald was a bank clerk.
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Pte. Robert Holleran 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment My Grandfather, Robert Holleran served with the 15th.Cheshire Reg., and was wounded and captured on 24th of March 1918. This is from the German POW file.
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L/Cpl. Robert Holleran 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment My Grandfather Robert Holleran served in the 15th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment in World War 0ne.
He was taken prisoner on 24th March 1918 at Mericourt and was imprisoned at Zerbst POW camp in Saxony Germany.
He survived the war and died in 1954.
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Sgt.Maj. Richard Lightfoot 15th (Birkenhead Bantams) Btn. Cheshire Regiment Richard Lightfoot was my Grandad. He served with the 15th Cheshires, the Birkenhead Bantams. He was captured at the Somme and spent the war in a prisoner of war camp in Germany from where he escaped and got recaptured three times. I Have a news item from the Birkenhead News with his photo saying he was missing in action.
Later on in the second world war he was based in Chester and then lived at the drill hall Birkenhead.
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Pte. Harold Butler 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment (d.24th Mar 1918) Pte. Harold Butler served with the Cheshire Regiment 15th Battalion. He died on 24th March 1918.
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Pte. John James Mallen 15th Battalion Cheshire Regiment (d.27th Mar 1918) John James Mallen served with the 15th Battalion Cheshire Regiment.
He was aged 28 when he died on 27th March 1918.
Born in Jarrow in 1889 he was the son of Bernard and Ann Mallen (nee Hanlon) of 10 Short Row Jarrow. On the 1911 census, he is listed as John James Mallen age 21 Chipper and Painter in Shipyard living with his parents Bernard and Ann Mallen and family at 10 Short Row, Jarrow.
John is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church Jarrow.
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Pte. John Flynn 15th Btn. Cheshire Regiment (d.13th Nov 1920) My great grandfather, John Flynn served with the 15th Cheshire regiment under the 1st/2nd regiment, Birkenhead. He was lucky enough to return from the great war, but was discharged from the army under kings regulations as being unfit for duty in 1919. Whilst he returned to Stockport briefly, he was found wandering dazed and confused in Whiston, Prescot in 1919. He was admitted to Lancaster county asylum and died there on 13/11/1920. He is listed on the st Helens roll of honour.
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