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17th (2nd City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment
The 17th (2nd City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment was raised in Manchester on the 28th of August 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City. Initially they trained at Heaton Park but moved in April 1915 to Belton Park, where they joined 90th Brigade, 30th Division. They to Larkhill in September 1915 for final training and proceeded to France on the 6th of November 1915. concentrating near Amiens. In 1916 they were in action during the Battle of the Somme, in which the Division captured Montauban. In 1917 they took part in the pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Arras Offensive and The Battle of Pilkem Ridge. On the 11th of February 1918 they transferred to 21st Brigade, still with 30th Division. They were in action on The Somme and in the Battles of the Lys suffering heavily. On the 15th of May the battalion was reduced to cadre strength and on the 19th of June transferred to to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division. On the 30th of July 1918 the 17th Manchesters were absorbed into the 13th Manchesters.
21st Apr 1915 Manchester City Battalions Brigade Sports day A crowd of 20,000 people gathered at Heaton Park to watch Manchester City Battalion's Brigade sport's day. 4th City Battalion won the Brigade steeplechase earning them the nickname Scarlet Runners.
24th Apr 1915 Manchester City Battalions move camp The four Manchester City Battalions left Heaton Park Camp for Belton Park near Grantham, Lincolnshire. 18th Battalion left Heaton park in the early morning, marching through Manchester to London Road station to entrain for Grantham. On arrival they marched 3 miles to Belton park.
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
1st of January 1916 Move 
1st of January 1916 Night-time Shelling
2nd of January 1916 Direct Hits
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
13th of January 1916 5th Division in Reserve
9th February 1916 Call Ups
1st Jul 1916 Manchester Pals in action
1st Jul 1916 Thrilling Advance
1st Jul 1916 Montauban Captured
1st Jul 1916 Ammunition
3rd Jul 1916 Leading the Advance
9th Jul 1916 No Support
13th Jul 1916 Address
3rd Sep 1916 Reliefs At 15.00. 18th Battalion. DLI Less D Co. proceeded into billets at La Fosse after being relieved by 17th Manchesters at Le Touret.18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
2nd Feb 1917 Appointment
2nd Jun 1917 Training
6th Jun 1917 On the March
7th Jun 1917 Training
9th Jun 1917 Forward Area
10th Jun 1917 Reliefs
11th Jun 1917 Holding the Line
13th Jun 1917 Trench Raid
14th Jun 1917 Reliefs
15th Jun 1917 Working Parties
16th Jun 1917 Working Party and Training
17th Jun 1917 Working Party and Training
20th Jun 1917 On the March
21st Jun 1917 On the March
22nd Jun 1917 On the March
23rd Jun 1917 In Billets
24th Jun 1917 Training
25th Jun 1917 Training
26th Jun 1917 Training
27th Jun 1917 Training
28th Jun 1917 Working Parties
1st Jul 1917 Working Parties
2nd Jul 1917 Working Parties
3rd Jul 1917 Working Parties
4th Jul 1917 Working Parties
5th Jul 1917 On the Move
6th Jul 1917 Training
7th Jul 1917 Training
8th Jul 1917 Training
12th Jul 1917 Training
13th Jul 1917 Sports
14th Jul 1917 Training
15th Jul 1917 Training
16th Jul 1917 Training
17th Jul 1917 On the Move
19th Jul 1917 Training
20th Jul 1917 On the March
21st Jul 1917 Training
22nd Jul 1917 Training
23rd Jul 1917 Training
24th Jul 1917 On the March
28th Jul 1917 On the March
29th Jul 1917 On the March
30th Jul 1917 Into Position
31st Jul 1917 Attack Made
1st Aug 1917 Reorganisation
2nd Aug 1917 Message of Congratulation
3rd Aug 1917 On the Move
4th Aug 1917 On the Move
5th Aug 1917 Reorganisation
6th Aug 1917 Reorganisation
7th Aug 1917 On the March
8th Aug 1917 Training
9th Aug 1917 Training
10th Aug 1917 On the March
11th Aug 1917 Training
15th Aug 1917 Training
16th Aug 1917 Training & Working Party
20th Aug 1917 Training
22nd Aug 1917 Reliefs
23rd Aug 1917 In Camp
28th Aug 1917 Reliefs
29th Aug 1917 Reliefs
31st Aug 1917 In the Trenches
1st Sep 1917 In the Trenches
2nd Sep 1917 Reliefs
4th Sep 1917 Working Parties
11th Sep 1917 Reliefs
15th Sep 1917 Awards
16th Sep 1917 Working Parties
20th Sep 1917 Reliefs
21st Sep 1917 Reliefs
22nd Sep 1917 Reliefs
23rd Sep 1917 In the Trenches
26th Sep 1917 Reinforcements
27th Sep 1917 In the Line
1st Oct 1917 Reliefs
2nd Oct 1917 In Reserve
3rd Oct 1917 Baths
4th Oct 1917 Baths
5th Oct 1917 Training
7th Oct 1917 Training
8th Oct 1917 Training
9th Oct 1917 In Reserve
11th Oct 1917 Moves
13th Oct 1917 In Reserve
15th Oct 1917 In Reserve
16th Oct 1917 In Reserve
18th Oct 1917 Railways
21st Oct 1917 Working Parties
24th Oct 1917 Reinforcements
29th Oct 1917 Working Parties
31st Oct 1917 On the Move
1st Nov 1917 Training
2nd Nov 1917 Training
3rd Nov 1917 Training
4th Nov 1917 Working Parties & Training
5th Nov 1917 Working Parties & Training
6th Nov 1917 Working Parties
7th Nov 1917 Training
8th Nov 1917 On the March
9th Nov 1917 In Camp
10th Nov 1917 In Camp
11th Nov 1917 On the March
12th Nov 1917 Sport
14th Nov 1917 Training & Sport
15th Nov 1917 Training & Sport
16th Nov 1917 Training & Sport
17th Nov 1917 Training & Sport
20th Nov 1917 Training & Sport
22nd Nov 1917 Training & Sport
24th Nov 1917 On the March
25th Nov 1917 On the March
30th Nov 1917 Reliefs
1st Dec 1917 In the Trenches
3rd Dec 1917 Attack Made
4th Dec 1917 Reliefs
5th Dec 1917 Cleaning up
6th Dec 1917 Training
7th Dec 1917 Training
12th Dec 1917 Reliefs
13th Dec 1917 In Support
14th Dec 1917 Attack Made
15th Dec 1917 Holding the Line
16th Dec 1917 Holding the Line
17th Dec 1917 Holding the Line
18th Dec 1917 On the March
19th Dec 1917 Training
21st Dec 1917 Entertainment
23rd Dec 1917 Festivities
24th Dec 1917 Reliefs
27th Dec 1917 Working Parties
30th Dec 1917 On the March
31st Dec 1917 Working Parties
19th Apr 1918 Reliefs Complete
20th Apr 1918 Quiet
21st Apr 1918 Quieter
22nd Apr 1918 Gas
23rd Apr 1918 Gas Shells
30th July 1918 Reorganisation
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 with17th (2nd City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Charlesworth William. Pte. (d.8th Apr 1917)
- Dixon William Baldwin. L/Cpl. (d.11th Jul 1918)
- Dixon William Baldwin. L/Cpl. (d.11th July 1918)
- Heywood John Chadwick. Pte.
- Ramsden Percy Gordon. Cpl. (d.23rd April 1917)
- Renshaw MM William Romaine. Cpl.
- Ritchie James Battle . L/Cpl. (d.23rd April 1917)
- Smith Hubert Francis. Sgt. (d.29th April 1917)
- Smyth Paul.
- Starkie Richard. Pte. (d.1st Jul 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 17th (2nd City) Battalion, Manchester Regiment from other sources.
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Sgt. Hubert Francis Smith 17th (2nd City) Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.29th April 1917) Hubert Smith served with the 17th Battalion, Manchester Regiment in WW1. He was killed at aged 24 years, 29th of April 1917 and is buried in Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery in Saulty, France.
He only saw my mother, Margaret, (born March 1916) twice in his life. She was only 10 months old when he died.
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Pte. John Chadwick Heywood 17th (2nd City) Btn. Manchester Regiment My great grandfather John Heywood was in the Battle of the Somme. He signed up on the 10th of November 1914 at 17yrs and 6 months old and was discharged on the 5th of May 1919.
He received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
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L/Cpl. James Battle Ritchie 17th (2nd City) Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.23rd April 1917) My Grandfather, James Ritchie, who unfortunately I never knew, was born on 23 November 1878 in Chorlton, Manchester.
He was a member of the City Pals, 17th Battalion, Manchester Regiment as a Lance Corporal.
He died on 23rd April 1917 while fighting during the 1st Battle of Arras. His body was never found. His name is marked on The Arras Memorial at Faubourg-D Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France.
James was a renown baritone in the Manchester and surrounding areas, winning 1st Prize at the 'Preston Musical Festival of 1907' for his Solo Baritone performance.
Before the Great War James worked for The Great Central Railway as an Accounts Clerk, leaving to join the British Army when war broke out. Manchester GCRJ gives his service number as 396.
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Cpl. William Romaine Renshaw MM 17th Division, D Company Manchester Regiment William R Renshaw was my father. He served with the 12th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. He survived the war but suffered the effects of gassing until his death in 1973. He said little about the war apart from tales of making their own grenades and shells and macabre tales of hanging coats and hats on limbs of the dead sticking out of the sides of the trenches.
He was awarded the Military Medal but for most of his life would not say why he was awarded the medal. He always said 'It was my turn. It came through in my tea ration'. Not long before his death he described how he had been involved in an attack on the German trenches. He remained behind when others retreated and radioed back information about German occupancy of the trenches.
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Cpl. Percy Gordon Ramsden 17th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.23rd April 1917) Percy Ramsden served with the 17th Btn. Manchester Regiment, he was killed at Arras in 1917. I am the great-niece of two men from the same family who were killed in action at the Somme in 1916 and Arras in 1917. Their loss shadowed the lives of their immediate family, and I want to make sure that they are not forgotten.
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L/Cpl. William Baldwin Dixon 17th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.11th July 1918) William Dixon died 11th July 1918 of Pneumonia in a German Hospital, aged 27. Buried in the Berlin South Western Cemetery in Germany, he was the son of James and Jane Dixon.
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L/Cpl. William Baldwin Dixon 17th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.11th Jul 1918) William Dixon served with the 17th Battalion, Manchester Regiment during WW1 and died on the 11th July 1918 of Pneumonia in a German Hospital, aged 27. Probably a POW, he is buried in Berlin South-Western Cemetery in Germany.
He was the son of James and Jane Dixon.
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Pte. Richard Starkie 17th Btn. Manchester Regiment (d.1st Jul 1916) I have recently obtained the Victory Medal belonging to Richard Starkie Pte 26441 who was born and enlisted in Manchester. He died in action on the first day of The Battle Of The Somme and is buried in the Serre Road Cemetery No2. His medal was sent to his wife who lived Oldham Road Manchester. I purchased the medal from a dealer to keep it in Manchester.
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Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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The Manchester Pals Martin Steadman
Manchester proved able to raise eight Pals battalions. Initially, these battalions were composed of middle-class men who experience before the war years was within the commercial, financial and manufacturing interests which formed the foundations of Edwardian Manchester's life and prosperity. Manchester was undeniably proud of its pals battalions; that the area was capable of raising. Seven months after their arrival in France the battle of the Somme was launched, on the fateful 1st July, 1916. On the right of the British Army's extraordinary efforts that day, the Manchester Pals were part of one of the few successful actions, taking the villages of Montauban and Mametz and making a deep incursion into the German defences north of the River Somme.
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