The months up to the Armistice 1918.

THE FIRST WORLD WAR

In the First World War there were more than 41 million military and civilian casualties including over 18 million deaths.  Between 9 and 11 million of those who died were military personnel and between 5 and 6 million were civilians.

Of the military personnel who died 5 million were serving in the forces of the Entente Powers (including Great Britain) and 4 million were serving the Central Powers including Germany.

This page is about local men who died in the months leading up to ( and, sadly, immediately following ) the signing of the Armistice on the 10th November 1918 in Ferdinand Foch’s railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne 37 miles (60km) north of Paris. Fighting was to stop at exactly 11.00 a.m. on the following day — The eleventh hour of the 11th day of the11th month 1918.

 

WEAVERHAM and HARTFORD WAR MEMORIALS

66 men who were killed in the First World War are named on the main Weaverham War Memorial and 63 on the one in Hartford.  A few of these men are mentioned on both memorials.  They were all individuals with families who mourned their deaths;  in some cases we have been able to find their obituaries from the Northwich Guardian.

Fifteen of these men died in September, October and November 1918, yet there had only been four previous fatalities recorded on the Weaverham memorial in the rest of 1918 ( in March, April and May).  This increase in mortality was partly due to the intensification of fighting as the war reached its climax, but also it was partly due to the outbreak of influenza. Soldiers returning from France brought the flu with them, leading to 228,000 deaths in Great Britain alone. World wide the 1918 influenza pandemic is estimated to have affected 500 million people and was fatal in between 10% and 20% of cases.

Advert for Flu Tonic.

Advert for a Flu Tonic from the Northwich Guardian

Of the 15 men listed here Pt. Burgess, Pt. Clare and Pt Waterman are known to have died of influenza.

Army

18th September 1918

Private John Nield, 12thCheshire Regiment. Born in Weaverham. On Weaverham War Memorial

More details in Alphabetic List.

10th October 1918

Private Henry Sherlock Barlow, age 42. Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry. died. Lived in Sandiway. On Weaverham War Memorial

More details in Alphabetic List.

11thOctober 1918

Private Harry Chesterson,  age 29. 74thField Amb. Royal Army Medical Corps. On Hartford War Memorial

More details in Alphabetic List.

14thOctober 1918

Harry Wilkinson

Private Harry Wilkinson. From Acton. On Weaverham War Memorial and on his parent’s gravestone in St Mary’s Churchyard.

He is also commemorated on the Brunner Mond War Memorial at Winnington.

Click here for newspaper transcript.

20thOctober 1918

Private/Corporal Albert Elsby, age 32. 1/4thKing’s Shropshire Light Infantry. From Sandbach. On Weaverham War Memorial

More details in Alphabetic List.

25thOctober 1918

Private Henry (Harry) Chesworth Leadbeater, age 19. 36, Machine Gun Corps. From Barnton. His parents lived in Beach Rd, Weaverham ( now in Hartford). On Weaverham War Memorial

He is also commemorated on the Brunner Mond War Memorial at Winnington.

Click here for newspaper transcript.

28thOctober 1918

Lance Corporal John Albert Clark.10thEast Yorkshire Regiment. Born in Barnton. On Weaverham War Memorial

More details in Alphabetic List.

30thOctober 1918

Francis G ClarePrivate Francis George Clare, age 29.  Royal Army Service Corps. Died from influenza. On Hartford War Memorial. Also on commemorated in St Helens.

More details in Alphabetic List.

2ndNovember 1918

Arthur Burgess

Private Arthur Shaw Burgess, age 22. Labour Corps, formerly in 10thCheshire Regiment. Died in England from influenza. From Hartford.  He is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in St Mary’s Churchyard, Weaverham. On Weaverham War Memorial.

He is also commemorated on the Brunner Mond War Memorial at Winnington.

Click here for newspaper transcript.

 

10thNovember 1918

The Armistice was signed.

11thNovember 1918

The Armistice took effect at 11 A.M.

 

12thNovember 1918.

Private Gilbert Thornton, age 22. (photo),1/5thBn Cheshire Regiment On Hartford War Memorial

More details in Alphabetic List.

14thNovember 1918

Private W. Shallcross, age 18. “E” Coy, 53rdBn. Manchester Regiment. From Norley. He is not mentioned on either of the local village memorials. He is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in St Mary’s churchyard, Weaverham.

More details in Alphabetic List.

26thNovember 1918

A picture of J A Waterman

Private James A. Waterman, 6thMobile Ammunition Col. Mechanical Transport, Royal Army Service Corps. From Weaverham. On Weaverham War Memorial

Click here for newspaper transcript.

Royal Navy

27thOctober 1918

Able Seaman Arthur Whitley. HMS Whitley. From Weaverham.  He is buried in a Commonweath War Grave in St Mary’s churchyard.  On Weaverham War Memorial

Click here for newspaper transcript.

8thNovember 1918.

Able Seaman Richard Heyes, age 22. HMS Barham. He is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in St John the Baptist Churchyard, Hartford. On Hartford War Memorial

More details in Alphabetic List.

Mercentile Marine

5thOcotober 1918

Chief Cook Arthur Shallcross, age 28. Mercentile Marine . S.S. “Reventazon”. Born in Winsford. On Weaverham War Memorial

More details in Alphabetic List.

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