The Best Guide for the Neston Area

November 1915 - Letters from our Men in Gallipoli and News of Another Neston Casualty

The latest instalment from local historian Susan Chambers, on life in Neston 100 years ago during the Great War.

News came through this week of a Neston man killed in action in Gallipoli, namely William Lewis of 6 Liverpool Road, one of seven children of the family. William had signed up, aged 20, to the 8th Battalion of the Cheshires in August 1914. He had been a keen worker in Neston Salvation Army unit. A letter to William's parents from 2nd Lieutenant Gordon Miln commended him highly, and said that William had in fact been his orderly for five weeks. He had been shot in the head, given morphine and died within a couple of hours.

Liverpool Road, Neston, just before the outbreak of WW1

Private Samuel Webster, writing from Gallipoli to his mother in Gladstone Road, was hoping to be home for Christmas, but not wanting to have any turkey - as, he said, he is having enough of Turkey to last a lifetime. But he did want some tins of food sending, sardines, salmon, chicken paste, and a tin of Bovril or Oxo, in fact, anything to eat would be welcome.

Private Joe Robinson of the Cheshires was also writing home, to Badger Butts; he had been in hospital for six weeks, and was a bit concerned because he had only received one letter and a box of Woodbines. It had been hellish when they landed at Gallipoli. "Pusher", also from Badger Butts had been hit in the shoulder and Henry Peters was missing after the bayonet charge, (‘Pusher" Roscoe in fact had died in August).

Farmers throughout the country were having a tough time getting men to work on the land, as so many were at the war, and others had gone into the munitions works for good money. Rake Farm in Burton was offering a good cottage with a garden free to a cowman, and a similar offer was being made to attract a ploughman in Hinderton.

The Wirral Union Area District Sub-committee of the County's War Agricultural Committee was discussing the manning problems this week and it was agreed that with a little tuition women could pick mangolds and turnips and could sometimes help with the threshing. There were problems in that women could not be expected to walk two or three miles and then do farm work. In Eastham and Capenhurst no women would work on the farms; women could not do men's work...though later in the war it became obvious that they certainly could.

Neston builder Albert Fleming was looking for two plumbers ineligible for military service, Molyneux (where the dentist stands on Park Street) wanted a baker immediately. The Council needed a steam roller driver, Mr Johnson Houghton of Westwood (the Grange/Red Fox) wanted a chauffeur, ineligible for the army, or an incapacitated soldier. A Protestant nurse or nursery governess, who was also a good needle-woman was wanted for the three children at Rosario in Manorial Road.

An advertisement from one of the oldest local firms.

Plans for the use of the Institute by the British Red Cross Society as a hospital for the wounded troops were going ahead with the cooperation of the adjacent Congregational Church who were leasing it from Sir William Lever. It was to be cleaned, painted and varnished, and a new gas stove and baths to be installed. Mr Maxwell (with his film shows) would not have his lease extended. It was hope that the bowling green would still be available for Institute members, and perhaps the bowling room too.
The agreement was signed on 16th November.

The Institute, top right of this picture, was about to undergo a drastic change of use.

More troops were desperately needed and big changes were about to take place in recruitment, thanks to Lord Derby's scheme for boosting the numbers of fighting men. A complex classification arrangement was established, and committees to act as local recruiting tribunals were being organised. We will look at Neston's arrangements later this month.

This article covers roughly the first two weeks in November 1915.

Related content:

Neston - 100 Years Ago

New website looking at Neston's history: www.nestonpast.com

Neston in the Great War - Neston Villages Remember

Days Gone By - photos of Neston's past

Newspaper Clippings

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