During the week of December 29, 1914 Captain Ralph Lees, in command of the Depot at Ashton, received orders to raise an additional 240 men for the newly reorganized 9th Reserve Battalion, Manchester Regiment in training at Southport. These men were recruited in just over a week, (January 4-13, 1915). Facilities were provided for training the men at the Ashton Golf links, and the Secondary School playing field near the Infirmary. The Brushes shooting range was used for firing practice. Captain George Makin and Lieuts. A.W.F. Connery and N. Wilkinson were transferred from the 2/9th Battalion at Southport to assist Captain Lees in the training of the men.[1]
Major Edward Garside
On January 25th, 1915, Major (temp Lieut.-Col.) Edward Garside, having relinquished his temporary appointment as brigade major to the 2nd/East Lancs Brigade, was appointed to the command of the battalion depot at the Armoury and of the newly formed company of 240 men who were in training there.[2]
Major Edward Garside. © Garside Family
By Saturday May 1, 1915 the 240 men in training at Ashton had been designated as the nucleus of a new Territorial unit to be formed under the command of Major Garside at the Ashton Armoury. Of the 556 rank and file required, the names of 476 men had been enrolled up to the previous Thursday night, so that, exclusive of the officers, only about 50 or 60 men were required to complete the establishment. It was anticipated that this would be achieved by the end of the week (May 7, 1915).[3]
Move to Southport
By Saturday May 22, 1915 the third Territorial unit was fully established and an additional 100 recruits were being actively sought. These men moved from the Armoury at Ashton under Lyne to Southport on July 7, 1915 under the command of Lieut.-Col. Garside. There were in all 666 men on parade that day.[4]
Supplying Drafts
Meanwhile, in August the 2nd/East Lancashire Brigade was numbered the 198th Brigade and the 2nd/East Lancashire Division was numbered the 66th Division and they now formed part of the Second Army, Central Force. By the end of August all the home service men left the 2/9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment and only those men were retained who had Imperial Service obligations. This effectively ended the 2/9th Battalion’s role as an infantry feeding unit for Gallipoli, and those duties were now taken up by the 3/9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.
On October 22, 1915 the 3/9th Battalion supplied a final large draft of men for the 1/9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment in Gallipoli. The draft consisted of 3 Officers and 134 Other Ranks who left Devonport on October 8, 1915 sailing on the Transport Ship DEMOSTHENES. In fact, embarkation records show that the DEMOSTHENES sailed with 3 Officers and 140 other ranks.
The following list of 121 men were part of this draft.
| Rank | No. | Forename | Middle | Surname |
| Pte | 3610 | JOSEPH | BEAUMONT | |
| Pte | 3208 | JOSEPH | WILLIAM SCHOFIELD | EVANS |
| L/Cpl | 3233 | ROBERT | HENRY | VINT |
| Pte | 3286 | ALBERT | SHAW | |
| Pte | 3311 | ERNEST | JONES | |
| L/Cpl | 3334 | THOMAS | RIDLEY | |
| Pte | 3341 | EDWIN | BEECH | |
| Pte | 3353 | JOSEPH | HYDE | |
| Pte | 3359 | HARRY | JONES | |
| Pte | 3378 | WILLIAM | HADFIELD | |
| Pte | 3394 | JOHN | STANDRIN | |
| Pte | 3194 | TOM | PLATT | |
| Pte | 3248 | WILLIAM | HULIN | |
| Cpl | 3392 | RICHARD | WRIGHT | |
| Pte | 3287 | LEONARD | PENNINGTON | |
| Pte | 1328 | WILLIAM | NOEL | BEACON |
| Pte | 3306 | ALBERT | GEORGE | OLD |
| Pte | 3190 | RALPH | PLATT | |
| Pte | 3192 | JAMES | FRATER | |
| Pte | 3193 | WALTER | SILCOCK | |
| Pte | 3196 | PERCY | MARLAND | |
| Pte | 3201 | JOHN | BROCK | |
| Pte | 3203 | ARTHUR | BOOTH | |
| Pte | 3206 | JOHN | ALFRED | CHADWICK |
| Pte | 3210 | THOMAS | MULLEN | HOWARD |
| Pte | 3211 | ROBERT | OGDEN | |
| Pte | 3216 | WILLIAM | KINDER | |
| Pte | 3217 | NORMAN | WHITTAKER | |
| Pte | 3218 | JOHN | EDGAR | NEWTON |
| L/Cpl | 3220 | ROBERT | SHANDLEY | |
| Pte | 3222 | JAMES | FALLON | |
| Pte | 3223 | JOHN | FLETCHER | |
| Pte | 3224 | JAMES | BUCKLEY | |
| Pte | 3225 | HAROLD | MAYALL | |
| L/Cpl | 3232 | ERNEST | GEORGE SPROSTON | NOKES |
| Pte | 3237 | HARRY | NAISH | |
| Pte | 3241 | ALFRED | METCALF | |
| Pte | 3243 | DAVID | HANSON | |
| L/Cpl | 3246 | HARRY | LAWLER | |
| Pte | 3255 | JAMES | ALBINSON | |
| Pte | 3258 | ARTHUR | GREEN | |
| Pte | 3260 | JAMES | WILLIAM | MANSFIELD |
| Pte | 3262 | THOMAS | WILMOTT | |
| Pte | 3266 | HAROLD | TOMLINSON | |
| Pte | 3268 | JAMES | MARLAND | |
| Pte | 3269 | ALBERT | THOMAS | |
| Pte | 3276 | WILLIAM | FREDERICK | POTTER |
| Pte | 3279 | HAROLD | SUGDEN | |
| Pte | 3281 | JAMES | RALPH | FERNLEY |
| Pte | 3283 | JAMES | WHITEHEAD | |
| L/Cpl | 3284 | NIMROD | HAIGH | |
| Pte | 3288 | THOMAS | PENNY | |
| Pte | 3290 | SIDNEY | WILLIAMS | |
| Pte | 3291 | AARON | JONES | |
| L/Cpl | 3294 | ARTHUR | ROWE | |
| Pte | 3295 | EDMUND | LOMAX | |
| Pte | 3296 | FRED | PEMBERTON | |
| Pte | 3297 | ALBERT | POTTS | |
| Pte | 3302 | JAMES | WATERFORD | |
| Pte | 3305 | HARRY | RAYNER | |
| Pte | 3312 | HAROLD | GREEN | |
| Pte | 3314 | JAMES | CUNCAR | |
| Pte | 3315 | HARRY | ROBERTS | |
| Pte | 3317 | WALTER | DONE | |
| Pte | 3320 | CAMPBELL | REECE | |
| Pte | 3321 | JOHN | JAMES | BALLAGHER |
| Cpl | 3322 | JOSEPH | SIDNEY | HOLT |
| Pte | 3323 | HAROLD | WARBERG | |
| Pte | 3329 | NORMAN | BRAMWELL | |
| L/Cpl | 3335 | MARTIN | GATELEY | |
| Pte | 3338 | WILLIAM | NALLY | |
| Pte | 3340 | CLARENCE | BOOTH | |
| Pte | 3343 | JOHN | EDWIN | TATE |
| Pte | 3346 | CHARLES | BOTTOMS | |
| Pte | 3347 | WALTER | EASTWOOD | |
| Pte | 3351 | ROBERT | WILLIAM | THOMAS |
| Pte | 3355 | SAMUEL | ALEXANDER | DAVENPORT |
| Pte | 3356 | SAMUEL | LEES | |
| Pte | 3357 | FRANK | ROBERTS | |
| L/Cpl | 3358 | HARRY | ANDREW | |
| Pte | 3360 | ARTHUR | APPERLEY | |
| Pte | 3361 | ROBERT | HARRISON | |
| Cpl | 3364 | JAMES | MILLER | |
| Pte | 3365 | JOHN | DUNKERLEY | |
| Pte | 3367 | JOHN | GREENHALGH | |
| Pte | 3368 | LEONARD | BROADHURST | |
| Pte | 3369 | WILLIAM | WALKER | |
| Pte | 3376 | MICHAEL | CUNCAR | |
| Pte | 3377 | JAMES | LEAH | |
| Pte | 3379 | THOMAS | FARRELL | |
| Pte | 3383 | WILLIE | GREEN | |
| Pte | 3386 | JOHN | DORAN | |
| Pte | 3387 | JOHN | O’BRIEN | |
| Pte | 3389 | PHILIP | DONNELLY | |
| Pte | 3391 | HORACE | BENNETT | |
| Pte | 3395 | FRANK | TAYLOR | |
| Pte | 3396 | HARRY | GREGORY | |
| Pte | 3397 | WILLIAM | WILKINSON | |
| Pte | 3398 | WILLIAM | ALBERT | RUSSELL |
| Pte | 3399 | FRANK | HAMER | |
| Pte | 3400 | JOHN | THOMPSON | |
| Pte | 3406 | WILLIAM | HACKWELL | |
| Pte | 3408 | FRED | ALLEN | |
| Pte | 3410 | EDWARD | MERCER | |
| Sgt | 3411 | JAMES | CLARE | |
| Cpl | 3413 | HENRY | OGDEN | |
| Pte | 3414 | WILLIAM | FEATHERSTONE | |
| Pte | 3415 | GEORGE | PARKER | |
| L/Cpl | 3416 | JOHN | HUGHES | |
| Pte | 3417 | THOMAS | MITCHESON | |
| Pte | 3418 | RALPH | SCHOFIELD | |
| Pte | 3420 | HARRY | LOWE | |
| Pte | 3422 | JOHN | JAMES | BOOTH |
| Pte | 3423 | ERNEST | BRADBURY | |
| L/Cpl | 3426 | IRVINE | SCHOFIELD | |
| Pte | 3427 | HARRY | MARSLAND | |
| Pte | 3608 | ALFRED | JONES | |
| Pte | 3729 | HENRY | THOMPSON | |
| Pte | 3765 | FRED | WHITEHEAD | DICKINSON |
| Pte | 3802 | JAMES | HARRY | BROADBENT |
| Pte | 3301 | CHARLES | HENRY | WARD |
One of these men, 3301 Pte. Charles Ward, has a Medal Index Card disembarkation date of October 25th but an examination of his service record reveals that his B.103 form was missing the disembarkation date and, upon request, the Manchester Regiment provided the next dated entry which was when he joined ‘B’ Company on October 25th. This neatly illustrates the problems inherent in compiling nominal rolls of men from inconsistently created medal rolls. Nevertheless, he was clearly a member of the October 22, 1915 draft.
The officers who accompanied the draft were:
| Rank | Christian | M.I. | Surname | |
| 2/Lt. | THOMAS | AINSWORTH | ||
| 2/Lt. | BELTRAN | F | ROBINSON | |
| 2/Lt. | WILLIAM | H | DEMEL |
On October 26, 1915 a draft of 11 Officers arrived in Gallipoli from England, via Alexandria, along with 110 Other Ranks returning from hospital treatment in Egypt. The Officers embarked HMT SCOTIAN at Devonport on October 13th, 1915 arriving at Mudros on October 24th, finally joining the Battalion on the 26th.
| Rank | Forename | Middle | Surname |
| 2/Lt. | WILLIAM | NEVILLE BROADBENT | BURY |
| 2/Lt. | SYDNEY | NAYLOR | |
| 2/Lt. | IRVINE | DEARNALEY | |
| 2/Lt. | BERNARD | HAROLD | BRISTER |
| 2/Lt. | OSCAR | STOCKTON | NEEDHAM |
| 2/Lt. | PERCY | PARKER | FIELDING |
| 2/Lt. | FRANCIS | CYRIL | HAMPSON |
| 2/Lt. | FREDERICK | BEARD | |
| 2/Lt. | ROBERT | JACOMB NORRIS | DALE |
| 2/Lt. | JOHN | REGINALD | TOMMIS |
| 2/Lt. | ALFRED | GRAY |
On December 1, 1915 a draft of 7 Other Ranks, (machine gunners), arrived from England having departed Devonport on the transport ship CALEDONIA on November 15.
| Rank | No. | Forename | Middle | Surname |
| Pte | 3717 | JOHN | BURGESS | |
| L/Cpl | 3594 | ERNEST | RILEY | |
| Pte | 3697 | JAMES | GORDON | WHITEHOUSE |
| Pte | 3705 | MATTHEW | ELLISON | |
| L/Cpl | 3853 | ALBERT | SHEPLEY | |
| Pte | 1084 | JOHN | JACKSON | |
| Pte | 3289 | CHARLES | HENRY | BROWN |
This was the final draft of men supplied from England for the Gallipoli Campaign of the 1/9th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.
Move to Codford
At midnight on Monday December 13, 1915, the battalion entrained for a hutted camp at Codford St. Mary, Wiltshire. Sick and wounded men of the 1/9th Battalion who were medically repatriated to England from Gallipoli, were either discharged being no longer fit for military service or time expired, or after recovering at home, were sent to join the 3/9th Battalion. By Christmas 1915, around 280 such men were reportedly stationed there and formed an “Overseas Company” housed separately from the other members of the 3/9th who had not yet deployed overseas or experienced the hostilities.[5]
“Overseas Company” at Codford, 1916
In January 1916, as officers and men of the 1/9th Battalion continued to join the battalion at Codford, other men of the “Overseas Company” started preparing to be deployed back to the 1/9th Battalion in Egypt and to other units as dictated by the War Office. Lieut.-Col. D.H. Wade, now sufficiently recovered from his wounds from Gallipoli, arrived back in Egypt on January 27, 1916. Others, such as Lieut. F. A. Makin and Captain T. A. Platt were assessed as fit only for permanent home service and so joined the 3/9th Battalion and remained with them.
On March 18, 1916 it was reported that Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Nowell, was temporarily in command of the 3/9th Manchester Regiment (Ashton Territorials) at Codford, in the absence of Lieut.-Colonel Garside, who was at that time temporarily engaged on other duties. Earlier that week a grand concert was held at Codford to bid farewell to a draft of ex-Gallipoli officers, senior NCOs and men returning to Egypt under the command of Col. Nowell along with men of the 3/9th battalion who were deploying overseas for the first time.
8th (Reserve) Battalion
On April 8, 1916 the 3/9th Battalion officially became known as the 9th (Reserve) Battalion and on September 1, 1916 the 9th and 10th Reserve Battalions were absorbed into the 8th (Reserve) Battalion, then located at Southport. The 8th (Reserve) Battalion, moved to Ripon in January 1917 and then to Filey, (Hunmanby), in June 1917 where they remained for the duration of the war.
The 8th (Reserve) Battalion maintained a presence at Filey from June 1917 until the end of the war and their primary purpose was to train reserve troops prior to their re-deployment on the Western Front. As such, it was also tasked with rehabilitating recuperating men in their transition from military hospital, to convalescent hospital, to Command Depot, to Reserve Battalion and finally re-deployment.
Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Garside. © Garside Family
Major Edward Garside, no longer the battalion’s commanding officer, relinquished his temporary rank of Lieut.-Col. on November 2, 1916. On February 24, 1917 the Ashton Reporter noted that: Under the War Office Authority, dated February 9th, 1917, Major Edward Garside, the late commanding officer of the 9th (Res.) Battalion the Manchester Regiment, has been appointed permanent president of the Garrison Quartering Committee, Mersey Defences, and to be temporary Lieut.-Col. whilst so employed. He remained with the Mersey Defences for the duration of the war.
Notes:
[1] “Recruiting Record in Ashton” published January 16, 1915 in the Ashton Reporter.
[2] “Ashton Notes” published February 13, 1915 in the Ashton Reporter.
[3] “Lady Aitken at the Armoury” published May 1, 1915 in the Ashton Reporter.
[4] “3rd Ashton Territorial Battalion goes to Southport” published July 10, 195 in the Ashton Reporter.
[5] “The Ashton Territorial Overseas Men” published January 1, 1916 in the Ashton Reporter.
Acknowledgements:
Photographs of Lieut-Colonel Garside kindly provided by the Garside Family and remain their copyright. Please do not copy them without permission.