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18th (2nd South East Lancashire) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
18th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers was raised as a Bantam Battalion (troops who were under the normal regulation minimum height of 5 feet 3 inches) in Bury on the 13th of January 1915 by Lieut-Col. G. E. Wike and a Committee. After initial training close to home, they moved to Garswood Park, Ashton in Makerfield on the 8th of April 1915. On the 21st of June they joined 104th Brigade, 35th Division at Masham, North Yorkshire. They moved to Cholderton, Salisbury Plain for final training in August and the Battalion was formally adopted by the War Office on the 27th. They were ordered to Egypt in late 1915, but the order was soon cancelled and they proceeded to France landing at Le Havre on the 29th of January 1916, 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. Hey 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
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
14th of October 1918 A Busy Day
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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 with18th (2nd South East Lancashire) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers during the Great War 1914-1918. - Ashburner George. Pte. (d.31st Oct 1918)
- Brown Arthur Charles. Pte. (d.26th March 1918)
- Drummond William Dodd. Pte. (d.4th Nov 1916)
- Earles Sidney. Pte (d.23rd Oct 1917)
- Fowell Frederick. Pte. (d.1st Jun 1918)
- Grimes James Holder. Pte. (d.15th Apr 1917)
- Hopkins Thomas. Pte. (d.13th Feb 1918)
- Howes DCM. James. CSM.
- Kitto John. Pte. (d.28th Oct 1918)
- Lapslie Joseph Henry. Pte. (d.30th Jul 1916)
- Lee Joseph Collis. Pte. (d.15th Apr 1917)
- Makin Richard. Pte. (d.22nd October 1917 )
- Makin Richard. Pte. (d.22nd Oct 1917)
- Makin Richard. Pte. (d.22nd October 1917 )
- Makin Richard. Pte. (d.22nd October 1917 )
- Summers John George. Pte.
- Wilcox H. R.. Capt. (d.13th Feb 1919)
- Williams James. Capt. (d.22nd July 1916)
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 18th (2nd South East Lancashire) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers from other sources.
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Pte. George Ashburner 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.31st Oct 1918) Born in Broughton-in-Furness in 1894, George Ashburner was the son of John Ashburner and Sarah (nee Hayes).
In 1901 the family lived in Ravenglass, Cumberland, where John was a railway worker.
Prior to enlisting, George was a general farm servant for William Hodgkin at Bridgestones, Drigg, Cumberland.
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CSM. James Howes DCM. 18th (2nd South East Lancashire) Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers The Distinguished Conduct Medal was awarded to J Howes for gallantry in the field in the face of the enemy.
Conferment of the D.C.M. gallantry award was announced in the London Gazette of the 3rd of September 1919 and accompanied by a citation.
"Since 9th September, 1917, his work has been continuously of the highest order. In the attack at Houthulst Forest on 22nd October, 1917, and the subsequent minor operations carried out by the battalion during the winter in Poelcapelle area, he displayed ..........."
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Pte. William Dodd Drummond 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.4th Nov 1916) William Drummond joined the army on the 9th of September 1915 with a fake age but was a tall lad so managed to get away with this, he fought with the 18th Lancashire Fusiliers in France where he died on the battlefield to a gunshot wound that went through his prayer book (which is in the family still covered in his blood) he was 17 when he died after one year and 2 months of service.
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Pte. Richard Makin 18th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (d.22nd October 1917 ) Richard Makin was 22 years old when he died.
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Pte. Richard Makin 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.22nd October 1917 ) Richard Makin was aged 22 years at time of his death.
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Pte. James Holder Grimes 18th (2nd South East Lancashire) Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.15th Apr 1917) James Grimes was born in July 1879 in Dursley, Gloucestershire.
He married Elizabeth Margaret Powell on 22nd April 1908.
He was 37 years old when he died on 15th of April 1917 in France.
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Pte. Richard Makin 18th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (d.22nd October 1917 ) Richard Makin was posted as missing, body was never recovered. He was 22 years old. He is remembered with Honour on the Tyne Cot Memorial
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Capt. H. R. Wilcox 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.13th Feb 1919) Captain Wilcox was the husband of Ellen Wilcox of Delgany, Heswell Hills, Cheshire.
He died 13th February 1919 from sickness contracted on active service in France 1917 aged 30 years and is buried in the Greystones (Redford) Cemetery, Delgany, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
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Pte. Arthur Charles Brown 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.26th March 1918) Arthur Brown was from Millwall, Isle of Dogs. He was conscripted aged 18 into the 18th Btn Lancashire Fusiliers. Arthur was described by my grandmother, who died in 1998 aged 98, as 'a really lovely boy' and she mourned him until she died. He has no known grave but is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial, panel.
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Capt. James Williams 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.22nd July 1916) James Williams was born on 31st March 1896, the only son of James and Josephine Anne nee Matthew, of Dessmuir, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. He was at Charterhouse School from 1910 until 1913.
In the Great War he volunteered for a commission in the New Army. He died on 22nd July 1916 of wounds received in action near Trones Wood, during the Battle of the Somme. His grave is in La Neuville British Cemetery, Corbie.
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Pte. Joseph Henry Lapslie 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.30th Jul 1916) Pte. Joseph Henry Lapslie served with the 18th Battalion Lancs Fusiliers. He was killed in action on the Somme and is commemorated on the Thievpal memorial.
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Pte. John George Summers 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers John Summers was conscripted to the 18th Batt Lancs Fusiliers on 14th of January 1917. He was reported missing on the 13th of April 1918 and held POW at Dulmen, Germany where he appears to have been first found on 28th of August 1918. I know he was repatriated at Hull in December 1918 or January 1919. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal after the war. Both medals have since sadly gone missing.
I can find no record of where my Grandfather went missing, what action he would have been involved in and exactly what his war effort might have consisted of. It is interesting to read that the Battalion was mostly comprised of men who were short in stature. He was only 5' 5" tall and was a publican in a dockside pub in Middlesborough. He was nearly 30 when he was conscripted and had seven children (my Father included) by the time he was called up. My Grandmother was one of very few women (at that time) who was permitted a Justices licence to run a pub/hotel. He never spoke of his time as a POW but for some reason, had an abiding dislike for Belgians after the war, the reason for this is not known.
I would be very grateful if you have any records or information about him that you would be kind enough to share with me. My Father's family are nearly all gone now, save for one very elderly Aunt who is 93. My father also served as an army Chaplain for many years and retired as as a Major before going back to 'civvy street.' He spent many years in the TA following his regular service in Singapore and British Guyana but he missed the Army to his dying day.
Many thanks in anticipation.
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Pte. Thomas Hopkins 1st/8th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.13th Feb 1918) Thomas Hopkins served with the Lancashire Fusiliers 1st/8th Battalion. He was executed for leaving his post on 13th Frbruary 1918 aged 26 and is buried in Gorre British and Indian Cemetery, Gorre, France.
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Pte. Joseph Collis Lee 18th Btn. Lancashire Fusiliers (d.15th Apr 1917) Private Joseph Collis Lee was killed on 15 April 1917 while serving with the 18th Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers. He was born in Nottingham, raised in Fleckney, Leicestershire and enrolled in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
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Pte. Frederick Fowell 18th battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (d.1st Jun 1918) My grandmother's brother Frederick Fowell started army life in the London Rifle Brigade but some how found him self in the Lancashire Fusiliers. I'mm researching him at the moment and would be grateful of any help. He was laid to rest in Martinsart Cemetary. He died around the Aveluy Wwood area as it was being counter attacked on June the first. A lot of his battalion died or their date of death are on the 1st of June 1918.
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Pte Sidney Earles 18th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (d.23rd Oct 1917) Sidney Earles was born in 1898 in Hull, Yorks, he died during war service aged 19 in 1917. Son of Mr Henry Earles & Mrs Emily Earles.
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