William McCANN

10 August 1917

HIGHER BENTHAM – War Items

Private John Dowbiggin has received his discharge from the ‘Duke’s’ and is at home suffering from gunshot wound in head and jaw. News has reached his father that Private Tom Clarke, of the Manchester ‘Pals,’ has been wounded. His other two brothers, Private Walter Clarke and Private Charles Clarke, have been wounded. Private Wm. Mccan [McCann], of the Durham Light Infantry, is home on six days’ leave. Private John Lister is in hospital at Stockport suffering from trench fever. Private Adam Croft, of the ‘Duke’s,’ is home on furlough.

02 November 1917

HIGHER BENTHAM – TWO BENTHAM MEN KILLED

On Saturday morning news reached his mother that Corporal Tom Harry Smith, of the Grenadier Guards (Machine Gun) was killed in action on the 11th October. The deceased was well known at Bentham, having been some time ago in the employ of Mr. J.E. Dean, grocer, but was later in the goods warehouse at Miles Plating, Manchester, where he enlisted on the 20th October 1914 as a volunteer, and his brother, W. Smith, in the R.F.A. as a driver.

Two of the stepbrothers are serving in France. He was 25 years of age and over 6ft. On Saturday his mother received a letter from the Guards Record Office, dated October 22nd 1917, notifying the fact that Corporal Smith had been killed in action; also a message of sympathy from the King and Queen. The deceased’s stepfather, Mr. Elijah McCann, is an old Afghan campaigner.

The news also reached Mrs. Hannah Robinson of Main Street, Bentham, on Sunday that her youngest son, Corporal William Robinson of the West Riding Regiment, had been killed in action in France. The deceased was the youngest son of his widowed mother, and her main support, and was working for Messrs. George Angus and Co. when the orders came to that works that all single men had to join up. He went with others on the 8th July last year. According to a letter received by the mother, the fatality occurred in France on the 9th October 1917. The report is to the effect that he was killed in action.

04 October 1918

BENTHAM

Mrs. Margaret McCann, the wife of Mr. Elijah McCann, died at Cleveland Square on Saturday night rather suddenly in her 61st year. She lost a son [Cpl. Harry Smith, killed in action, 11 October 1917], who was in the Grenadiers, about three months ago, and this weighed very heavily on her spirits. Another son is fighting in Palestine, and two of her stepsons are in the Army, one having won the D.C.M. The funeral took place at St Margaret’s Church on Wednesday afternoon. The rector, Rev. Percy Coates, officiated, and a number of friends attended to pay tribute to the memory of deceased.

11 October 1918

HIGH BENTHAM – Soldiers on Furlough

Quite a number of soldiers are home on leave from the Front and on home service and on sick leave, including:– Lieut. T.W. Wells, Machine Gun Corps; Lieut. Dixon Marshall, R.F.A.; Lieut. Alderson, R.G.A.; Sergeant Edward Ramskill, the ‘Dukes’; Trooper Ralph Bibby, Cumberland and Westmorland Yeomanry; Corporal William Carr, The Queen’s (Surrey); Bomb. John Oldfield, R.G.A.; Lance-Corporal Gilbert Wells, R.G.A.; Bomb. Edward Dodding, R.F.A.; Private William McCann, Durham Light Infantry; Sapper Walter Burrows, R.E.; Private Gilbert Hind, the ‘Dukes’; Private Sam Ammatt, the ‘Dukes’; Driver Richard Kidd, R.F.A. Three Bentham soldiers have recently been wounded at the Front, namely, Private Alfred Bruce, the ‘Dukes’; Private John W. Jackman, Northumberland Fusiliers; and Gunner Thomas Wilson, of the R.G.A.