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2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
| Want to know more about 2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers? There are:5304 items tagged 2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers available in our Library
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 with2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers during the Great War 1914-1918. - Baynham Percy Frank. L/Cpl. (d.21st Sep 1918)
- Best-Dunkley VC. Bertram. Lt/Col. (d.5th Aug 1917)
- Boughton Colonel Edward. Pte. (d.12th Aug 1918)
- Grierson John. L/Cpl. (d.26th Aug 1918)
- Hall Norman. Capt.
- Kirkby Joseph. Pte (d.24th April 1918)
- Marshall Herbert. Pte. (d.20th September 1917)
- Parkes William. L/Cpl. (d.20th Sep 1917)
- Schofield VC. John. 2nd Lt. (d.9th Apr 1918)
- Speak Charles. Pte.
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 2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers from other sources.
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- 19th Nov 2024
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Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
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Pte. Colonel Edward Boughton 2nd/5th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.12th Aug 1918) Colonel Boughton was my Great Grandfather and died at the age of 32.
He had a young wife and two small children.
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Pte. Herbert Marshall 2/5th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.20th September 1917) On the 1901 census, Herbert Marshall was based with 107th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, at the London barracks. He lost his life on the 20th of September 1917 whilst serving with the 2/5th South Lancashire Regiment.
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Pte. Charles Speak 2/5th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers Charles Speak was my great uncle. He served in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He was wounded in the leg in Lille in 1917.
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2nd Lt. John Schofield VC. 2nd/5th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.9th Apr 1918)  John Schofield served with the 2nd/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers during WW1 and died of wounds on the 9th April 1918, aged 26 and is buried in the Vieille-Chapelle New Military Cemetery in France.
An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 25th June, 1918, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in operations. 2nd Lt. Schofield led a party of nine men against a strong point which was reported strongly held by the enemy, and was attacked by about 100 of the enemy with bombs. He disposed his men so skilfully, and made such good use of rifle and Lewis gun fire, that the enemy took cover in dug-outs. This officer himself then held up and captured a party of twenty. With the help of other parties this position was then cleared of the enemy who were all killed or captured. He then collected the remainder of his men, made his party up to ten, and proceeded towards the front line, previously informing his Commanding Officer as to the position, and that he was proceeding to retake the front line. He met large numbers of the enemy in a communication trench in front of him and in a drain on his right and left. His party opened rapid rifle fire, and he climbed out on to the parapet under point blank machine gun fire, and, by his fearless demeanour and bravery, forced the enemy to surrender. As a result, 123 of the enemy, including several officers, were captured by 2nd Lt. Schofield and his party. This very gallant officer was killed a few minutes later."
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Lt/Col. Bertram Best-Dunkley VC. 2/5th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.5th Aug 1917)  Bertram Best-Dunkley served with the 2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers during WW1. He died of wounds on the 5th August 1917, aged 27 and is buried in Mendinghem Military Cemetery in Belgium.
An extract from the London Gazette No. 30272, dated 4th Sept., 1917, records the following:
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when in command of his battalion, the leading waves of which, during an attack, became disorganised by reason of rifle and machine gun fire at close range from positions which were believed to be in our hands. Lt. Col. Best-Dunkley dashed forward, rallied his leading waves, and personally led them to the assault of these positions, which, despite heavy losses, were carried. He continued to lead his battalion until all their objectives had been gained. Had it not been for this officer's gallant and determined action it is doubtful if the left of the brigade would have reached its objectives. Later in the day, when our position was threatened, he collected his battalion headquarters, led them to the attack, and beat off the advancing enemy.
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L/Cpl. William Parkes 2/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (d.20th Sep 1917) William Parkes was my G-Great uncle born in Darcy Lever in 1878, son of John Wood Parkes and Mary Jane Stott. He was married to Ellen Watson who died of the Spanish Flu virus in 1915. In 1917 William was killed in action, leaving one son, who was bought up by his mother. That same year William's brother Squire also died of his wounds. Apparently his mother never accepted that both her sons had been killed in the war. Unfortunately, I have no photographs of William, nor have I any stories to tell, funny or otherwise. But he is my uncle and I want him to be remembered. His name is on the
Tyne Cot Memorial.
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Capt. Norman Hall 2/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Born on 28th February 1892, Norman Hall studied science (probably chemistry) at Manchester University where he joined the OTC. Aged 22, he was working on glycerine development at Lever Brothers in Port Sunlight on the outbreak of war. Because of his OTC experience he tried to join the regular army, though was rejected on medical grounds. He joined a “Pals†Regiment in Liverpool (he achieved the required chest measurement by breathing out and having the tape held loosely and also jumped up and down on the scales so that he registered the correct weight!). He quickly transferred to the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers (Territorial Force)on its formation in Bury in September 1914. He volunteered for service overseas, although as a Territorial he was not obliged to do so. Because of his (limited) relevant experience in the OTC he was appointed as a signaller and had an important role in establishing and maintaining field telephone communications. He began as a private, promoted quickly to Lieutenant and then 2nd Lieutenant before travelling overseas to France, rising to the rank of Temporary Captain in charge of a Company. He transferred to the 1/5th in June 1917 following his return to the Front after recovering from wounds, demoted (as he saw it) to his substantive rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He attained the rank of substantive Captain by the end of the War and possibly Temporary Major.
He was severely wounded on September 9th 1916 when he was repatriated, returning to the Front in France in June 1917. He was injured again in August 1918 – it seems that the horse he was riding to collect beer for a celebration of the Battalion’s Battle Honour (Minden Day – 6th August) fell on him and damaged his foot. He was again repatriated and did not return to the Front. He returned to his job with Lever Brothers on demobilisation.
In the family there is a series of 5 volumes of diaries which, although written retrospectively, give a detailed account of his experiences and appear to have been based on diaries written in the field (three of which we have). We also have sketch maps of actions, letters home, slides and a couple of original battle orders. In amongst the intricate detail of troop movements and other technical military information (the layout of field telephone networks and trenches, attempts to listen in to German telephones and a plan for a “top secret†chemical gas scheme in his section) the daily routine in the trenches and other locations is vividly described. There are many reflective anecdotes and digressions (eg. about French citizens and farms, signalling procedures, dugout life, treatment of wet feet, bathing routines, management of the company including censorship of letters, rat catching, the battalion dog, a trip to Paris with Simone and her sister “the girls†etc).
Whilst casualties are recorded, the account is matter of fact and generally lacking in emotion – the stiff upper lip mentality is very apparent. Yet he obviously cared for his colleagues and the men under his command and was deeply affected by the deaths of some of his close comrades. He clearly recognised that he had some narrow escapes (including one occasion when orders, which would almost certainly have been fatal, arrived too late) and was fortunate to survive. It seems that the approach adopted, and indeed the very act of writing the account itself, were his way of dealing with the horror that he experienced.
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