Mark PICKLES

‘Burnley Express’ (8 April 1916)

NINETY YEARS OF AGE

LADY WHO NEVER NEEDED GLASSES

On Wednesday, Mrs. Ann Pickles, who resides at 7, Barracks-road, Burnley, attained her 90th birthday, and she is remarkable for her age. She lives with her daughter. Born at Carlton, the old lady afterwards lived at Barnoldswick, and came to Burnley 30 years ago. Her husband died 20 years ago in May next. He was a builder and contractor.

Mrs. Pickles has 44 grandchildren and 46 great-grandchildren, sixteen of the grandchildren serving their King and country, and one great-grandchild. There are two daughters living and one son, seven children having died, four sons and three daughters. The youngest of her sons has ten children living.

Mrs. Pickles, who has never worn glasses in her life, has been very careful in her habits, and retains all her faculties. She is able to get about fairly well. Our photograph was taken only a year ago.

[Ann was the grandmother of Private Mark Pickles (14265).]

‘Burnley Express’ (27 October 1917)

Roll of Honour

PICKLES – Killed in action, Oct. 4th, 1917, Pte. Mark Pickles, 1st East Lancs. Regt., aged 35 years.

A loving husband, a father dear,
A faithful friend when he was here.
He lived in hope, he died in peace;
We hope his joys may never cease.
He died for his country, a hero he fell,
How sadly we miss him no one can tell.

–From his sorrowing wife and children, and his mother, 15, Barracks-rd., Burnley.

PICKLES – In loving remembrance of Pte. Mark Pickles, East Lancs. Regt., who was killed in action on Oct. 4th, 1917, aged 35 years.

Sleep on, dear brother, in a foreign grave,
Your life for your country you nobly gave;
No friend stood near to say good-bye,
But safe in God’s keeping you will lie.

How little we thought when we said good-bye,
We parted for ever, and you were to die;
The grief that we feel words cannot tell,
For we could not be with you to bid you farewell.

–From John, William and Herbert and Herbert (in France) and Mary.

‘Burnley Express’ (27 October 1917)

OUR FALLEN HEROES

AFTER THREE YEARS AT THE FRONT

The wife and mother of Pte. Mark Pickles, 14265, of the East Lancashire Regiment, Lewis Gun Section, have received official notification that he was killed on October 4th. His home is at 15, Barracks-road, Burnley. The deceased soldier had served three years at the front. He was very well known in the West End district, and worked as a property repairer for his brother, John Pickles, up to the declaration of war. He had served before the present war for 15 years in the Reserve and Volunteer Forces. Mrs. Pickles, aged 91, whose photo we published in April, has now lost three grandsons, including the deceased. One was lost when the “Rohilla” went down at the beginning of the war, and a second was killed in action just over twelve months ago. Deceased, who was 35 years of age, leaves a wife and two children. His younger brother, Pte. Herbert Pickles, is serving with the East Lancashires in France.

HISTORY OF THE EAST LANCASHIRE REGIMENT IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 (Littlebury Bros. Ltd. 1936)

1st Bn. East Lancashire Regiment

1917
Two battalions, 1st Somerset Light Infantry on the right with 1st Hampshire on the left, were detailed for the assault: the 1st East Lancashire Regiment was in support of these two battalions . . .

The front occupied by the two assaulting battalions at Zero hour lay about half way between Langemarck and Poelcapelle facing north-east. The forward troops of the 1st East Lancashire Regiment were about 200 yards in rear of this line. The final objective was no more than a distance of, say, 1,250 yards. Zero hour was 6:00 a.m. [4th October] at which time the light was ideal.

So far as the 11th Brigade [that included the 1st East Lancashire Regiment] front was concerned, the battle proceeded entirely to programme; so successful, indeed, was the advance, that a message from Brigade H.Q. ordered the final objective to be extended another 300 to 400 yards. Zero hour for this further advance was to be at 6:30 p.m.: orders to this effect were sent out from Battalion H.Q. at 1:45 p.m.

At about 2:00 p.m., however, troops on the left were observed to be retiring from the direction of 19 Metre Hill, situated 1,200 yards N.W. of Poelcapelle Church. Captain Tinling, on his own initiative, at once led his company through the retiring troops and restored the situation insomuch that the exposed flank of the 1st Hampshire Regiment was thus protected. ‘D’ and ‘B’ Companies supported ‘A’ Company, though to what extent the fog of war concealed. In any case much time was lost, the battalion was much disorganized and heavy casualties were suffered. The further proposed advance of the 11th Brigade had therefore to be abandoned. The gallant Tinling was killed. The action of a party commanded by Sergt. Cottom is particularly noteworthy. This N.C.O. had been warned by Captain Tinling, his company commander, of the importance of 19 Metre Hill: grasping the situation at once, he took command of what was left of the company, some 50 in number, established himself on the eastern slopes of 19 Metre Hill, crushed an enemy counter-attack by rifle and Lewis-gun fire and in spite of heavy artillery fire, directed by hostile aircraft, held on to his position until relieved forty-eight hours later.

A very dark night following the battle rendered the task of re-organization a matter of great difficulty: it is safe to compute that, at daybreak on the 5th, the regiment would not have been able to muster more than 100 rifles.

[Mark Pickles was killed in action on the 4th October.]