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Sheffield City Battalion (Sheffield Pals)

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i beleve the Sheffield Pals battalion was part of the 31st division of the fouth army along with hull,leeds,barnsley,accrington and hull pals .They attacked on the first of july but were mown down by machine gun fire mainly in no mans land .A very few managed to reach serre itself but were soon wiped out. Serre was to stay in german hands until the german retreat of 1917. Both my grandfathers were there in 1916 , one was gassed and died a few years later. The other lived into his 80's and returned for a visit in 1976. I've been many times since , it gets hold of you.

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Originally posted by K Seavill

Gleighton,

 

Many thanks indeed for this kind offer. Any evidence of Godfrey's war record/time with the Pals appreciated. I would like the CWGC to recognise his contribution/sacrifice.

 

Does anyone reading this thread know if the majority of Sheffield men would have joined the Pals (Yorks & Lancs regiments) at the start of WW1, or would there have been other regiments recruiting in Sheffield at this time?

 

kseavill

A large number of the pals were students from Sheffield University, with a large number of academics, prfessionals, managers etc, as well as ordinary working men. A lot of men in Sheffield would have been in reserved occupations in the armaments industry for part of the war. The West Riding Company(?) of the Royal Engineers also recruited locally, and they followed the Pals into the camp at Redmires, using the training area on Hill 60 above the dams. Their Territorial successors are still I believe based at Somme Barracks in Sheffield, though I may be out of date:)

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Idon't know much about my grt uncle. It was just as If he needed to be found. Nothing has come down through the family at all. My Granma[his neice never mentioned it as I was about 16 when she died and my Dad didn't know. Family history certainly has a lot to answer for. I was donig someone a good deed by looking for an inscription in Burngreave Cemetry records and found my family there with John Henry Kelk burial listed for the 1st ww. What goes around comes around!!!

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Thanks for all the useful postings. It gives me more ideas for how to continue my search for Godfrey's war record.

 

KSeavill

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Originally posted by JoeP

There is a novel called 'A covenant with death' by John Harris, which my father-in-law introduced me too, which we're both convinced is about the Sheffield Pals - there is a lot of background stuff in the novel that almost certainly points to Sheffield as the origin of the unit that is described in the pages.

Just found a bit more about John Harris Joe, he was from Rotherham, was a journalist and cartoonist on the Sheffield Telegraph in the 1950s when one of his early wartime action novels The Sea Shall Not Have Them was made into a highly rated film . So he knew the story of the Pals pretty well:)

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If anyone is interested two of the team investigating the trenches at Redmires are giving a talk about it to a meeting of Friends of the Porter Valley, at Bents Green Methodist Church Hall at 7.30 on the 4th May. Non-members welcome, entry £2.

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To K Seavill,

 

The following may be of interest to you (taken from a message board I belong to):

 

"I have noted with interest the good advice offered in response

to your

question. However, I feel that I should point out that it is

not necessary

to visit Kew to inspect these army records; they are also

available for

inspection via your local LDS Family History Centre. You do not

mention the

name of your ancestor, but as you are researching the name

HUGHES, I will

use this as an example.

 

WO 361 Records. These are known as the "Unburnt documents".

 

These files are organised alphabetically by surname and given

name.

Information includes unit name and number, birthplace, age at

time of

enlistment and name and address of next of kin and may include

names of

parents, spouses and children. The surname HUGHES is contained

in boxes

numbered from 5698 to 5733 inclusive.

 

For the names

Alfred C. HUGHES to Burnett HUGHES, your require LDS film

2028744

Cecil C. HUGHES to Douglas H. HUGHES, film 2028745

Edgar F. HUGHES to Ernest W. HUGHES, film 2028746

Evan HUGHES to George HUGHES, film 2029488

George HUGHES to Henry HUGHES, film 2029489

Henry HUGHES to James HUGHES, film 2029490

James HUGHES to John HUGHES, film 2029498

John HUGHES to John Joseph HUGHES, film 2029499

John Joseph HUGHES to Louis B. HUGHES, film 2029500

Louis O. HUGHES to Pryce HUGHES, film 2029501

Ralph HUGHES to Samuel HUGHES, film 2029502

Samuel HUGHES to Thomas HUGHES, film 2029503

Thomas HUGHES to William HUGHES, film 2029504

William HUGHES to William H. HUGHES, film 2029505

William J. HUGHES to Wynddyn HUGHES, film 2029506

 

WO 363 Records. These are known as the "Burnt Documents".

 

About 70% of these records were destroyed during the Blitz in

World War ll.

Many of the remaining damaged records can be read. To the best

of my

knowledge, those filmed so far, are: -

A-E; F; N-O, Q and T, which suggests that the surname HUGHES has

not been

filmed or maybe even salvaged.

 

WO 364 Records. These are known as the "Third Collation", which

is made up

of misplaced records, which could not be returned to their

correct location.

These files are organised alphabetically by surname and given

name. The

films you would require are as follows: -

 

Walter HUDSON to John HUGHES, film 2112568

John HUGHES to Edward Thomas HULATT, film 2112569.

 

I hope this helps,*

 

*Likewise

 

Hopman

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To Hopman,

 

Many thanks for your detailed reply about the 'burnt' war records and local family history centres.

 

I am actually searching for the war record of Godfrey COWLISHAW, son of Thomas Henry and Harriett Cowlishaw of Manor, Sheffield, brother of Cyril Cowlishaw (whose war record I have located).

 

I think someone else on this thread must have been searching for HUGHES.

 

Many thanks anyway, and I will try to follow the advice you give in furthering my own searches.

 

K. Seavill

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Hi Katherine

 

Please send me an email address where I can chat with you. We are quite closely related, My grandfather on my mothers side was Frank Cowlishaw, the brother or Harrold.

 

I am living in Tanzania at the moment, but by chance I have a number of the Cowlishaw records with me. This includes the Babtism records from the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Sheffield from 1858 to 1966

 

Just to make sure that we have the right tree, I can give you the following information that you can check with yours.

 

Thomas Henry Cowlishaw was married to Harriett and had the following children

 

1883 Elizabeth

1885 Godfrey

1887 Herbert

1889 Albert

1892 Cyril

1895 John

1899 Harrold (married Bessie Edna)

1902 Frank ( my Grandfather )

1905 Ena

 

Harrold was a school teacher. I believe you have an uncle David cowlishaw who married a Portuguse girl?

 

 

wingrove@cats-net.com or gm@harbourview-suites.com

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Hi all,

 

Does anyone, or has anyone ever heard of an airfield or the like at Redmires during WW1. I heard somewhere that there was one, but cant find any reference to it.

 

Glynn.

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Originally posted by glynn

Hi all,

 

Does anyone, or has anyone ever heard of an airfield or the like at Redmires during WW1. I heard somewhere that there was one, but cant find any reference to it.

 

Glynn.

The field next to the army camp was occasionally used by aircraft, but I don't think any were based there.

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