20 December 2015

Manchester Regiment - PoW Other Ranks 1914


As we approach Christmas 2015, spare a thought for those men of the BEF who spent Christmas 1914 as prisoners of war. Whilst elsewhere an unofficial truce would take place along parts of the line, thousands of British soldiers captured in fighting in the early months of the war were beginning lengthy periods in captivity, and many would not make it home until 1918 or 1919.

The following men were all serving with the 1st or 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment when they became prisoners of war of the Germans on or before Christmas Day 1914. There are 108 names in this list.  Read more about this Prisoner of War data source on my 1914 PoWs page.

This data has been transcribed from the following sources which are now housed at the Imperial War Museum:

1. B.O.2 1/208 is a five-page typed list of Manchester Regt men who were PoWs on or before 25th December 1914.  Sent by Lancashire County War Comforts Association on 6th January 1919.

2. B.O.2 1/209 is a single typed name of L C Trott giving address details.  Sent by Lancashire County War Comforts Association on 8th January 1919.
3. B.O.2 1/210 is a two-page typed list of Manchester Regt men who were PoWs on or before 25th December 1914.  Sent by Infantry Record Office No 1, No 3 District, Preston on 5th March 1919


There is obviously some duplication between 208 and 210 but note that 210 also gives the date of repatriation in most cases. My full transcription of this Manchester Regiment Prisoners of War roll call of other ranks (not reproduced here) also contains the battalion, and home address or next of kin address. 

The full transcription is available for sale as a download or CD for £20.
Contact me
if you would like to purchase a copy.


9824 Private Thomas Addis
1972 Private George Appleton
1812 Private James Bailey
6539 Corporal J Beresford
1338 Private Thomas Berry
138 Private James Brown
9915 Private James Brown
2291 Corporal M J Brown
29 Private W T Brown
489 Sergeant M J Cahill
2542 Private J Campbell
9930 Private W Campbell
9954 Private P Carroll
9085 Private J Clarke
9135 Private J Clay
1549 Private H Cosgrove
7974 Private A Cronshaw
8662 Private Charles Cusworth
2091 Private P Daly
8581 Sergeant John Devonshire
7910 Private J Dickson
9074 Private W Downey
9585 Private W Edwards
3 Private Harold Elson
7938 Private W England
1530 Drummer J Eyres
2464 Private J Fenton
8103 Private H Fielding
173 Private J Foster
9024 Private George Fox
1074 Corporal Arthur Freeth
9983 Private J Fudge
9749 Private T Furber
8589 Private J Gettings
2529 Lance-Corporal Thomas Gill
7598 Private Edward Gorton
204 Pte Thomas Green
4498 Lance-Corporal J Gregory
1928 Lance-Corporal W C Hadfield
107 Private Robert Haigh
8142 Private W Hamer
9694 Private H Harland
8741 Private R Harrison
2629 Lance-Corporal W Heaton
535 Private James Henderson
8708 Private J S Hilditch
2611 Private J Hill
9861 Private Travis Hilton
2598 Private William Hilton
1991 Private William D Hodges
133 Private J Hollis
389 Pte Joseph Hopwood
9677 Private W Iveson
2618 Private A Jacobs
1527 Private T Keefe
2596 Private William Kelly
1218 Private Charles Kenny
878 Private T King
2637 Private G Langley
1802 Corporal S Leaberry
9955 Private John Leek
2495 Lance-Corporal W Leigh
2672 Private W G Lewis
1949 Lance-Corporal W Linney
273 Corporal J Lumby
9410 Lance-Corporal T Mackin
8648 Sergeant J Mannion
2014 Private D McBride
2308 Lance-Corporal D McKenna
9758 Lance-Corporal W McPherson
9923 Private T Molley
2528 Pte A Morgan
8601 Private J Morley
9552 Corporal J Morrow
2578 Lance-Corporal Herbert Moulding
8564 Private R Mulcahey
2521 Lance-Corporal F Mulholland
9133 Private S Mullen
7990 Private T Munro
8687 Private W Murphy
8616 Private J O'Donnell
1812 Corporal J Pailey
6800 Sergeant F G Pinchin
9402 Private Charles Porter
9854 Private J Reddy
38 Lance-Corporal A J Roberts
2633 Private C Rose
4426 Private John Rothwell
2772 Private S Ryan
177 Corporal J Ryder
9117 Private J Schofield
8603 Lance-Corporal R Shaw
2383 Driver William S Shelsher
8701 Private James Shirley
2336 Private N Sladen
9155 Bandsman C F Smith
8892 Private John Smith
2283 Corporal W H Smith
8468 Private John Snape
8502 Private T Taylor
8987 Private W Taylor
9881 Private A J Thompson
9764 Private George Tobin
1414 Lance-Corporal T Trott
1414 Lance-Corporal Thomas Trott
8013 Lance-Corporal E Walmsley
182 Private Thomas Ward
2370 Private E Williams
8786 Corporal Ernest Yates

The undated photograph on this post is courtesy of the Imperial War Museum and shows captured British soldiers in the prisoner of war camp Altengrabow, in the Prussian province of Saxony.

I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.

No comments:

Grab a book bargain - 1000s of titles