Thomas HARGREAVES

10 September 1915

A BARNOLDSWICK MAN IN GALLIPOLI

We publish two interesting letters from Private T. Hargreaves, 6th Platoon, 8th Company [sic] of the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the Dardanelles, written to his parents, Mr. and Mrs Wm. Hargreaves, of 43, Gisburn Road, Barnoldswick. Private Hargreaves, who is 31 years of age, was formerly a weaver employed by Mr. Anthony Carr, at the Butts Shed. He enlisted in August last.

Describing his journey to the Front, in a letter dated July 5th, Private Hargreaves says:–

“We sailed in the ‘Aquitania,’ which is a splendid vessel. I have got in a very nice berth. ‘Oh! it’s a gentleman’s life’ so long as it lasts. When we left Liverpool we had two destroyers with us for escorts. They left us about 5 o’clock on Sunday morning. They had not left us a quarter of an hour when we were fired upon by a submarine. I think they only missed us by about twelve yards. The alarm sounded and we all had to rush on deck with lifebelts on, but there was nothing more was seen of the submarine. Of course, we were quite in the war zone just then.”

In a letter dated August 12th, written from Gallipoli, after having been ‘baptised by fire’, Private Hargreaves says:– “Just a line to let you know I am still in the land of the living. We have just had our first experience in the firing line, and I have been fortunate enough to get through without a scratch, although we had a rough time of it. Nearly all our officers have been wounded, and a lot of men have been lost. I have seen some dreadful sights and had some narrow escapes. You might not be a man of prayer, but, my word, it makes you pray. We had to force a new landing, and it was awful. The Turks were shelling us all the time, and we had no artillery to help us. It was a terrible struggle, but I think we shall fare better now, as we have got the artillery with naval guns.”

17 September 1915

EARBY LADS WITH THE 8th DUKE OF WELLINGTON’S

News of Comrades

Private James Walsh, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Walsh of 79 Colne Road, Earby, who is in the 8th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, has written home some interesting war-jottings, in which he says:– “You will find me a different lad if I get home again. We have been in some stiff ‘does’ and have suffered heavily, 320 being left out of 1000 of us. Our brigade has done very well, but we have paid the cost. The General says he wished he had all his Yorkshire lads back. Our Brigade has been in front on all the big advances, and that is a big honour. I am afraid H. Burrows is badly wounded. I went out of the dug-out in the trenches at five o’clock on Sunday, the 22nd, to find water for myself and pals. I found some about 200 yards away. Before five at night there had been about thirty shot down going to that well, and we could see them all. It was rotten. Never mind, I have come through so far, and I may come through all right at the end. We had a service on the beach last night, and we sang the hymn, ‘Lead, kindly light’. Well it takes a bit to move me, but that made me cry. I have prayed above once. As I am finishing this letter H.T. Smith has just come in, having been missing three days. R. Hewtson, E. Smith, J.T. Illingworth, H.T. Smith, H. Spencer (tackler), L. Trotter and J. Walsh are all well. Both Clarkes are wounded.”

Another Earby lad, Private N[H].T. Smith, of the same regiment in the Dardanelles, writes:–“We made an advance on the 22nd and 23rd, but I am sorry to say we paid very dearly for it. We were cut up terribly, and the worst part of it was that we lost a lot of Earby lads. Some of them, I am afraid, you will never see again. This is not civilised warfare; it is simply murder. It simply rained bullets and shrapnel, but I am still amongst the survivors. I was cut off from my regiment for three days, but I managed to fall in with the Munster Fusiliers, and I might mention here that my name has been sent in for being dead whilst under fire with the Munsters. You will perhaps have heard of this before you get my letter. One of the Clarkes from Earby got a bullet through the eye, and another is wounded. Burrows is wounded. Stockdale, Aldridge, Cross, and T. Hargreaves of Barnoldswick are missing. Sam Rigby is alive but taken prisoner, so you may tell his mother not to be downhearted, because I am confident he is alright.

08 October 1915

WOUNDED AT THE DARDANELLES

Private Thos. Hargreaves, of the 8th Batt. Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, is officially reported wounded in the Dardanelles on August 21st. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Hargreaves, 43, Gisburn Road [Barnoldswick], who received an intimation from the War Office on Monday, but no details are yet to hand.

29 October 1915

BARNOLDSWICK MEN WOUNDED AND MISSING

Considerable anxiety is felt as to the fate of two Barnoldswick men belonging to the 8th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s in the Dardanelles. Pte. Thos. Hargreaves, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hargreaves, Gisburn Road, and Pte. Robt. Brooks, Lane Bottom. The former was first reported wounded about a month ago, and now missing, all efforts to trace him having proved futile, though it is possible that owing to discrepancy of regimental numbers in replies received by his parents from the York Record Office that some mistake has arisen. In the case of Pte. Brooks no official notice has been received from the War Office, though the fact that nothing has been heard of him for over three months is regarded as significant. The last letter sent to him was returned (Oct. 15) endorsed ‘Wounded, present location uncertain’. In both cases several parcels sent from home have not as yet been acknowledged. Mr. and Mrs. Brook’s two elder sons are serving with the army in France, one in the firing line and other in the A.S.C.