252210 L/Cpl Curtis Cuthbert Garside British Army 8th Btn Cheshire Regiment from:George & Dragon, Charlesworth, Glossop (d.12th June 1917) Curtis Garside was born in 1895. As an adult, he worked at a local bleachworks but volunteered in August 1914 and joined the Cheshire Regiment. After training he served with the 8th Battalion in the Dardanelles. He was in hospital in Egypt with dysentery and rejoined his unit which went on to Mesopotamia. He participated in the attempted relief of Kut. He was in hospital in India suffering from heatstroke before rejoining his regiment. In April 1917 he had another 5 days in hospital with heatstroke (Source: The Chronicle Glossop). On 12th June 1917 he was bathing in the river Tigris and was overcome by the current. A detail of strong swimmers were on duty but could not save him without being pulled under themselves. His death led to a Court of Enquiry and more training for the Battalion. (Source: Regimental Diary which also confirms he was a Lance Corporal - surviving records such as medal rolls describe him only as a private).
Curtis was the only child of Jessie Garside (nee Cuthbert) the second wife of his father John Garside, the licensee of the George & Dragon public house in Charlesworth. Curtis and his cousin Capt. David Cuthbert are commemorted next to each other on the Charlesworth War Memorial which is directly opposite the George & Dragon. He is also commemorated by a plaque inside St John's Church, Charlesworth, erected by his parents and unveiled in early 1919.
|