One hundred year anniversaries of Littleborough soldiers who fell in 1916

Trooper Harold Vernon Tattersall

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Trooper Harold Vernon Tattersall

Harold was the son of J Hargreaves Tattersall who together with his wife emigrated to the USA in 1884. They returned on a visit in August 1891 during which time twin sons were born recorded as in Rochdale in late 1891 although in fact Harold may have been born in Littleborough.

The family later returned to the USA. In Brooklyn, USA, he was prominent in cricket and football.

He was an all round athlete and a playing member of the Manhattan Cricket Club and carried off the silver cup for bowling in league cricket some time ago. He was a cricketer and all round athlete and, formerly of the Windsor Terrace district. Deceased was associated with Brooklyn Baptist Tabernacle. He was a stock exchange clerk.

When war was declared Harold determined he would fight for his country and returned to England.

Enlisting in Liverpool, he was granted 6 days leave and returned to Rochdale but little knew his relatives.

Harold joined 2nd Dragoon Guards, (Queen’s Bays), part of the Household Cavalry and trained in Newport and Aldershot where he distinguished himself in inter-regimental games. He also won a middle-weight boxing tournament.

On 10 February 1916, Trooper GS/5614 Harold Vernon Tattersall was killed in action and was buried in Grave No D 8 Quarry Cemetery, Vermelles, Pas de Calais, France.

The cemetery was used from July 1915 to June 1916 and contains over 100, 1914 – 1918 war casualties.

Pte Tattersall was shot by a sniper in France. He was a bomber and was in a sap at the time being located near Fosse 8 and the heavily fortified Hohenzollern Redoubt located north of Loos. T

he Rochdale Observer for 26 February also reported that “He left a widow who resides in New York. His twin brother would have come to England to enlist in the army if his sight was not defective. Deceased grandmother lives at 9 James Street”.

In a letter to Mr O L Tattersall, Trooper F Dawson of the Queen’s Bays says “I need hardly say how much we shall miss our comrade. He was a genial fellow and a gallant soldier”.

Trooper Dawson said: “He was buried the day after his death and over his grave was put a cross which will be replaced by a permanent one with and aluminium name plate. A bottle containing his name and number was also put in the grave so that it can be identified if the cross is destroyed”.

There is a H. Tattersall on the Littleborough (Durn) Baptist War Memorial (now in Littleborough Library).

Rifleman Ambrose James Murray

He was born in Littleborough late 1895 but with his family the young Ambrose moved to live in Smallbridge where in 1901 lived at 244 Halifax Road. By 1911 he had moved to 3 Matthew Street, Halifax Road, Smallbridge where he lived with his family.

Ambrose was show as a Cotton Piecer and prior to enlisting in Rochdale he was employed at the Clover Mill. Ambrose was a member of the Smallbridge Good Templers.

Sometime before the 23 February 1916 Mrs Pauline Agnes Murray of 3 Matthew Street, Halifax Road, Smallbridge received unofficial news that her only son 20 year old Rifleman 52 Ambrose James Murray, 9th Bn, Prince Consort’s Own Rifle Brigade had died of wounds 12 February 1916 in a casualty clearing station in Belgium.

The news was forwarded to her in a letter dated the 15 February 1916 written by the Reverend A. B. Brooks, army chaplain from the 10th Casualty Clearing Station who wrote, “I am very sorry indeed to tell you that your son, Rifleman Murray, died in hospital here at 2:30pm on the 12th of this month. He was brought in the night before with most serious wounds in the back and chest caused by a shell.

"He was just conscious for short time, but felt little, if any pain. I was with him and did all I could to comfort and help him by my prayers and in other ways. He was very grateful but had great difficulty in speaking, so I did not try to make him.

"The doctors and nurses spared no pains in their efforts for him, but they could not save his life. Shortly after I left him he became unconscious and passed away the following day without recovering.

"He was buried with the church service in the military cemetery and his grave will be marked by a cross bearing his name. Please accept my deepest sympathy. I hope that you will feel that your boy was not alone, but with friends who did their best to help him”.

The official wording of Private Murray’s death was “Died from wounds received in the trenches” the trenches somewhere in the Ypres Salient.

Rifleman Murray is buried in Grave No II D 41 Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. At the time of his death, his father Private Michael Murray was serving with the 2nd Bn, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, he also had an uncle serving with the 12th Lancers. His mother had a private “Silk Memorial Ribbon” struck in his memory.