John Taylor : Teenager at War

1940: From Boyhood to Manhood

John Taylor was the eldest son of John Taylor and May Cawdery.  He was born in Salford on 7 March 1926, not the most auspicious time and place-- since it meant a boyhood blighted by the Great Depression and the shadow of war. [1]

John lived at 23 West Brownbill Street in Salford. The centre of his world was the intersection of Cross Lane, Regent Road, Trafford Road and Eccles New Road.  During his youth, his only foray away from home was to the Salford Children's Holiday Camp at Prestatyn, Wales (now sadly under threat of closure). Like many of his contemporaries, his childhood ended in 1940 at the age of fourteen. Upon leaving school, he went to work as a deckhand on the tugboats, which guided wartime shipping along the Manchester Ship Canal. Occasionally, his boat was dispatched into the Irish Sea to tow a damaged liberty ship into port. [2]

Tugboat maneuvering a liberty ship into No. 9 Dock, Salford

Liberty ships carried essential supplies from the United States to a beleaguered Britain. Their crews took pity on young John, generously giving him records of popular big bands, the odd article of clothing and items of food (e.g. oranges, which were extremely scarce). Eventually, his association with things American earned him the nickname, 'Yank Taylor'.

Tugboat at Barton.

Influenced by his own work and his father's career at sea, John joined what was then called the Navy League Sea Cadet Corps.  The photograph below shows John and his fellow cadets of the Manchester and Salford Unit on parade at Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester during 1940. [3]

Piccadilly Gardens: Lewis's is located at the top of the photograph.

Sea Cadet John Taylor at 14 years old

On the 25 November 1941, John was promoted to Warrant Officer.

The embossed logo on the front of his certification reads "Navy League - Keep Watch".  The certificate is signed by Admiral Sir Sydney Robert Fremantle.

John remained on the tugboats until his 19th birthday, when, on 9 April 1945, he joined the Coldstream Guards. Unfortunately, his service was cut short when he contracted rheumatic fever, causing damage to his heart (mitral stenosis). He was released on disability on 14 February 1946 after 321 days service, but by that time the war was over..

Guardsman John Taylor

Guardsman John Taylor seated far left
To enlarge: right click on images, open in new window and click on image.

shoulder patches

well-polished cap star

                              

His discharge booklet can be seen here .

John's Service Record and Pay Book can be seen here.

John's Certificate of Service can be seen here.

Notes

[1] The wretched conditions of Victorian Salford were described by Friedrich Engels (p.62) ; of Edwardian Salford by Robert Roberts ; of Depression Era Salford by Walter Greenwood.
[2] On one particular mission, a liberty ship was being blown by gale-force winds, causing the tug to be pulled over (girting). John remembered the tug master shouting "nobody abandons this tug until the funnel touches the water"!
[3] The parade ground is shown before it was bombed in December 1940 during the Manchester Blitz. See photo (left foreground).

First World War Centenary. 5: Henry Hicks

    William Henry A. Hicks

The details below are based on a collection of over 400 postcards, which belonged to the Hicks family, and were written, for the most part, during the Imperial Period of Germany.

Henry 'Harry' Hicks was employed as an engineer by the Imperial Continental Gas Association (ICGA), a company established in London in 1824. During the nineteenth century, the ICGA provided the technology and infrastructure that brought gas lighting to many of Europe's leading cities, including Hannover (1825), Berlin (1826), and Vienna (1845).  When Henry moved from England to Germany around 1889, the ICGA was operating the 'englischer Gasanstalt' at Gitschiner Straße, 19-22 (Berlin). 

By June 1891, Henry had met and married Fräulein Hedwig Mathie [1], and the newly-weds were living at Kottbusser Ufer, 62a (now Paul-Linke Ufer), which was a 20 minute walk from the Gitschiner Straße gasworks. They remained there until the autumn of 1900, and then moved to a house on the Ring Chaussee (Ring Straße, 3) in Mariendorf.  Mariendorf was located on the recently completed Teltow Canal, which facilitated the delivery of coal shipments, making it ideal as a site for a new gas facility. It seems reasonable to assume that Henry Hicks was transferred to Mariendorf to work on the construction of the new gasworks, which began in 1900 and was completed the following year. By that time, Henry and his wife had two daughters, Agnes (named after Hedwig's mother) and Edith.  In October of 1908, the Hicks family moved from Ring Straße to nearby Lichterfelderstraße, 32 (now Borstellstraße), but stayed there for only a  year before moving to YorckStraße, 89.  After an equally brief residence, the family settled in Albrechtstraße, 51 in Templehof around September of 1911 and remained there until the end of the First World War.

By 1914, Henry had lived in Germany for nearly 25 years, and had fully assimilated into the life of Germany's capital. He was on good terms with his in-laws, and he, Hedwig and their daughters were fluently bilingual. Their postcards reveal a cozy life, with frequent holidays to the Baltic coast and to Bavaria.  However, the halycon days of Wilhelmine Germany were drawing to a close, and the madness of World War One thrust Henry into the unexpected role of an enemy alien. Once a state of war existed between Britain and Germany, Henry's loyalties must have been disturbingly conflicted.   The exigencies of war forced the seizure of Imperial Continental Gas Association's German assets, which were nationalized by the German government.  Henry was arrested and imprisoned for the duration of the war at Ruhleben Internment Camp. 

The above postcard was sent by Henry to his wife from the internment camp for Christmas 1916. It shows that he was in barracks no. 7. It was published by the Ruhleben Camp Magazine, a publication organized by the detainees. The card was illustrated by Andrew Healy Hislop (1887-1954), a Scottish artist who was on a painting tour of Germany when the war broke out. The upper right corner reads Kriegsgefangenen-sendung (prisoners-of-war post) - Engländerlager Ruhleben (Ruhleben Camp for English [prisoners]).

Postcard showing Henry's title, 'Engineer'

Addressed to Herrn und Frau Hicks at the englische Gasanstalt,
Ring Chaussee, Mariendorf bei Berlin

Addressed to H. Hicks at the Gasmesser Fabrik (gas meter factory)

When the First World War ended, Henry Hicks returned to England with his family.[2] They moved to 1 Queen's Mansions, 33 Anson Street, Tufnell Park, London, and lived there throughout the twenties.  A postcard dated to 1930 shows Henry and his family still living there [3] . After that we lose track of Henry, Hedwig and Edith. Their daughter, Agnes H. Hicks, lived at 29 Gledhow Gardens at least until 1962.

***

The following two postcards are part of the Hicks Collection, and are addressed to Herrn Direktor A. Drory, that is, Arthur Drory, who was head of ICGA's Mariendorf gas meter works.

The Drory family, over several generations, are inextricably linked to the fortunes of the Imperial Continental Gas Association, beginning with Leonard Drory (1800-1886), his brother, George William Drory (1800-1879); James Sophron Emile Drury (1850-1909) and his brother, W.W. Drory; Edward Drory (1844-1904); Henry James Drory (1837-1899), and other members of their family.

Further Interest

German Gas Works During World War I
Gas lighting in Berlin
Description of the Mariendorf Gas Works  ( Part 1) (Part 2)
Visit to the Mariendorf Gas Works (1908)
Mariendorf Gasometer  (Photo) (More Photos)
Gaswerk Berlin-Mariendorf Photos
Ruhleben Camp

Notes

[1] A postcard dated 14 August 1883 shows Hedwig Mathie living at Kottbusser Straße 21. This was the home of her parents. Her father was Walter Scott Mathie, and her mother was Agnes Caroline Henriette Reim. They were married on 18 August 1860.  A number of the postcards are addressed to members of the Reim family.

Addressed to Hedwig's father

[2] Initially the family may have lived briefly at 50 Parkhurst Rd, Holloway, London.
[3] Hedwig Hicks was living at 33 Anson St. in 1931.

First World War Centenary. 4: John Stafford

Boatswain John Stafford



John Stafford was born in the townland of Brandane (Cill Bhréanainn) in the parish of Bannow (Banú) [1], County Wexford, Ireland on the 25th of April in 1875. He was the son of William Stafford and Mary (née Colfer) Stafford, and one of nine children.[2]  The 1901 census shows John's mother, Mary, and two of his brothers, Laurence and Andrew living in Bannow More [sic]. His father, having died on the 9th of January 1888 at the age of 55, left the continuation of the family's poultry farm to his widow and their two sons.  They were still on the Bannow Moor farm in 1911.

Townlands of the Bannow Area

Mary Colfer Stafford
taken circa 1908-1916 [3]

John Stafford

Mary's two eldest sons, William and John, went to sea to earn their living as merchant mariners. A transcription of the family headstone in Bannow states that William became a ship's captain, and shows that John lost his life during the First World War.

Source: RootsWeb

John Stafford married Mary Anglin, who died on the 29th of December 1908 from tuberculosis. They had a son, William Patrick Stafford, born on the 24th of October 1908.  The family lived at 12 Mount Sion Avenue in Waterford. After the death of his mother, William was reared by his aunt, Ellen Stafford Walsh, at 5 Mount Sion Avenue. John later married Mary 'Molly' Dwyer on 17 March 1913 at Trinity (Without) in Waterford. They had three children: Annie (1914-1965) ; John (1915-1982) ; 1916-1999).

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

On 4 February 1915, Germany issued the following communiqué: 

All the waters surrounding Great Britain and Ireland, including the whole of the English Channel, are hereby declared to be a war zone. From February 18 onwards every enemy merchant vessel found within this war zone will be destroyed without it always being possible to avoid danger to the crews and passengers. 

Since the operation of Germany's surface fleet was severely restricted by the might of the Royal Navy, it relied on the submarine as the principle means of engaging in naval and economic warfare.   However, the sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a U-Boat off the Old Head of Kinsale on  the 17th of

 May 1915, with the ensuing loss of 1,201 civilians, of which 128 were Americans, caused outrage in the United States, which was a neutral country.  In response, Germany moderated its activities, but, over time, losses of merchant ships steadily increased, and by February 1917, unrestricted submarine warfare resumed.

U-49

While patrolling the western approaches to the English Channel, the German submarine, U-49, under the command of  Kapitänleutnant Richard Hartmann encountered a lone cargo ship. It was the SS Lorca, with a crew of 32 and a cargo of timber.[4] The steamship was bound for Calais, having picked up its cargo at Gulfport, Mississippi, the third largest timber-producing state in America. En route it stopped at Norfolk, Virgina, probably Lambert's Point, to replenish its coal supplies before undertaking the trans-Atlantic portion of its voyage.  About 200 miles west [270°] of Ushant the U-49 torpedoed the SS Lorca, sinking her with all hands lost.  The ship was reported missing on 29 October 1916, and declared lost on 15 November 1916.

SS Lorca (1910)

Crew of the SS Lorca (1910)

Abbot, Thomas R., Master

Austwick, Nicholas, Second Engineer

Bain, John Emslie, Apprentice

Barnett, Alfred Lambert, Fireman

Beadon, J E, First Mate

Caros, G, Fireman

Cavalieratos, S, Fireman

Cilia, Saverio, Steward

Fletcher, Sidney Henry, Fireman and Trimmer

Hardberg, Gustaf, Able Seaman

Harvey, Andrew, Able Seaman

Hunter, Samuel, Fourth Engineer Officer

Johnston, James, Apprentice

Key, Robert Bell, Third Engineer

Lalanza, J., Fireman and Trimmer

Lawlor, Morgan, Able Seaman

Leaman, Patrick C., Fireman

Macalli, J, Fireman and Trimmer

Martinez, Francisco, Trimmer

Nilsson, Eric William, Able Seaman

Rogers, Arthur Charles, Second Mate

Scicluna, Salvatore, Mess Room Steward

Stafford, John, Boatswain

Stavrus, Demitrez, Sailor

Steel, John, First Engineer

Trevor, Alfred Norman, Third Mate

Undu, J, Able Seaman

Vallos, C, Donkeyman

Williams, Percival Leith, Cooks Boy

Willis, Thomas, Ship's Cook

Remembrance

John Stafford's name is recorded on the Tower Hill Memorial, London and by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. See also: Find-a-Grave. His name is to be found on the new Waterford Memorial. [5]. See also London Remembers . Everyone Remembered . Wrecksite

A widow's penny or the Memorial Plaque

Issued after the First World War to the next-of-kin of all British Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war (Courtesy of Karol Stafford).

Notes

[1] Located in the Barony of Bargy

[2] Alice (1870-1956) ; William (1872-1951) ; Ellen (1873-1958) ; Laurence (1877-1878) ; Laurence (1879-1955) ; Mary (1883-1958) ; Andrew (1884-1963) ; James (1886-1888).

• Mary Colfer, daughter of Laurence Colfer and Alice Curran, was born abt 1819-50 in Brandane Townland, and died on 23 March 1922 at the age of 72.  
•  William Stafford was born on 27 December 1833 in Vernegly Towland, County Wexford, Ireland.

[3] George James Hughes, photographer, was born in London in abt. 1882. The 1901 census shows he was living in Waterford as a 19-year old photographer, and by 1911, he had established George J. Hughes & Co., with a studio at No. 8 The Mall, Waterford and at Park Terrace, Dungarvan. Hughes & Co. produced many postcards of Waterford city and county, which are usually embossed with the company's name. The business appears in the phone book for 1913.  Hughes & Co. advertised in the short-lived Irish periodical, Banba, in 1921, but in 1922, probably in response to the Civil War, Hughes moved to Bridge of Allan, Scotland (British Journal of Photography v.69 (1922:56).

[4] A huge amount of timber was consumed on the Western Front. 

St. Louis Lumberman v. 58
1 Nov 1916, p. 14

St. Louis Lumberman v.58
1 Nov 1916, p. 32

Congressional Serial Set.
64th Congress. House Documents
Dec. 4, 1916-March 4, 1917, p. 17

[5] The 1,100 Fallen From Waterford (see Locals Lost at Sea)

First World War Centenary. 3: Gunner Sydney Ronan

Gunner Sydney Ronan, Royal Field Artillery, Service No. 96862

Sydney Ronan was the son of William McEvoy Ronan and Frances Lockett, who married at Manchester Cathedral on 14 January 1866. Sydney was born on 24 Jan 1889 at 16 Woden Street, Salford, and christened on 20 February 1889 at St. Bartholomew's Church. He was the youngest of nine children. In 1911, the family lived in Pendleton, but later moved to the Weaste area of Salford, residing at 98 Stowell Street, which ran parallel to Eccles New Road. Sydney was unmarried, and worked as a carter for Williams Cartage Ltd from their nearby Salford Docks office.[1]

Gunner Sydney Ronan

Sydney joined the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) in 1914, and received his training probably at No.2 Camp in Preston, Lancashire. His service number was 96862.  He was assigned to the LIV Brigade RFA, under the command of the 10th (Irish) Division, which sailed from Devonport on 7 July 1915 for Egypt.  The Brigade arrived at Alexandria two weeks later. Sydney's medal cards shows that he entered this theatre of war on 21 July 1915. From Egypt, the 54th Brigade moved to Mudros, on the island of Lemnos, which was being used as a forward base for the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign. At Mudros, Sydney appears to have been transferred to the LVII (Howitzer) Brigade, which was sent to Suvla Bay on 16 August 1915, and then on to Cape Helles on 16 December 1915. They were eventually evacuated on 30-31 December 1915, and the remnants of A & D Batteries were absorbed into the CXXXII (Howitzer) Brigade of the 29th Division on 2 March 1916.

The 29th Division returned to Egypt, and, on 25th February 1916, it was ordered to France. The division arrived at Marseilles during March, and were transported to the Western Front, concentrating in an area north of Amiens, and just in time for humanity's bloodiest confrontation, The Battle of the Somme.  During this battle, the CXXXII (Howitzer) Brigade was broken up to repair other battered brigades, and Gunner Ronan was transferred during September 1916 to A Battery of CXXII Brigade RFA, under the command of the 38th (Welsh) Division.  The 38th Division, having suffered badly during the battle for Mametz Wood (July 1916), had been placed in reserve. It did not take the field again until the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, which took place between the 31st of July and the 2nd of August, 1917.  The Battle of Pilckem Ridge marks the opening round of the larger Third Battle of Ypres, more famously known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

Third Battle of Ypres
Source: Battlefields of the First World War

The Artillery Barrage

The run-up to the Battle of Pilckem Ridge was a busy time for the Royal Artillery and the likes of Sydney Ronan.  In the fortnight preceding the infantry attack, over 2100 guns of the British 5th Army, along with nearly a thousand guns from the British 2nd Army and the French 1st Army, which were positioned on the 5th Army's right and left respectively, fired over four million shells at the German trenches. [2]  Newspapers reported this ceaseless barrage as "unprecedented in fury". They describe "the tidal wave of ammunition" in the following:

        Railway whistles screamed from the trains taking up more shells, always more shells, to
the very edge of the fighting lines ... the massed batteries using them as fast as they could be unloaded.

This "inferno of fire" was so horrendously loud that

... Throughout Saturday night (28 July), heavy and continuous firing in Belgium could be heard in English southeastern coastal towns. 

The bombardment reached its crescendo on 31 July 1917, just before the infantry attack was due to begin at 3:50 am.  Incendiary thermite shells, flaming oil drums, and gas shells were added to the deadly curtain fire.

Over the Top

The XIV Corps, under the command of the Earl of Cavan, was composed of the Guards Division and the 38th (Welsh) Division. They were placed at the northern end of the Ypres salient, and were poised to attack eastward across the Yser Canal.  Their objectives were deliniated by a succession of lines: blue, black and green. Their goal was to capture the uplands of the Pilckem Ridge, with its strategic view over the Ypres Salient, and then push on to secure a bridgehead over the Steenbeek Stream.

Map: Advance to the Steenbeek

By 5:20 am, under the protection of a creeping barrage, the infantry reached the blue line with relative ease, capturing large numbers of prisoners, stores of ammunition and trench mortars.  However, with daybreak, resistance stiffened, but the division pushed on, capturing the village of Pilckem, and eventually crossing the Steenbeek at 12:30 pm. However, a German counter-attack pushed them back across the stream. During their advance, the 38th Welsh Division virtually destroyed the elite Prussian 'Cockchafers' (3rd Guards Infantry Division).  

The remains of the Steenbeek

Then, in the afternoon, it began to rain in torrents, and it didn't stop for four days and four nights. It turned the battlefield into a dangerous quagmire. This made it extremely diffucult for the artillery, whose job it was to move forward in support of the advancing troops.

British field gun mired in the mud near Pilckem
Third Battle of Ypres
Source: IWM  Q5938

During the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, the German artillery was not idle, but returned heavy fire in what has been described as "the biggest artillery duel of the war". Exactly how Gunner Ronan died can only be reconstructed, since the records of the Royal Artillery were destroyed in 1940 during the London Blitz. It is most likely that Sydney was wounded in counter-battery fire during the battle, which was devastatingly intense. He died on 6 August 1917, apparently of his wounds, four days after the battle had finished. As a gunner of the CXXII RFA, he would have been firing a howitzer. The photograph below shows a 6 inch howitzer, which was taken on 16-18 August 1917, a few days after, and near to where, Sydney was killed.  He was 27.

Photo of a howitzer taken near Boesinghe

Sydney Ronan is buried at Bard Cottage Cemetery near Ypres in Belgium. (CWGC) (Find-A-Grave)

He received the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.

Medal Card

Notes

[1]  Slater's Directory (Manchester, Salford) 1911
[2] Initially, the artillery alternated between a day of counter-battery work and a day of trench bombardment. The last two days before the assault was dedicated solely to counter-battery work. British Artillery on the Western Front in the First World War (p.189).