My grandfather, William Browne (Billy) Bagshaw, enlisted in the army on 30 November 1914. alongside his brother Horace. Their younger brother, Kenneth, also joined up in the same year. Billy and Horace were officers with the 20th Battalion The Manchester Regiment, and arrived in France in November 1915. Both were at the Battle of the Somme, in the attack on the Fricourt sector on 1 July 1916. Billy was wounded on the first day of the battle, and invalided back to England. Horace - along with another junior officer - is recorded as having pushed forward, into an area of the German support trench where, finding no men left to command, they collected small parties of men and bombers in order to make contact with the men of another company. The following day, 2 July, he was promoted to Temporary Captain. Horace was the first of the three brothers to be awarded the Military Cross, gazetted on 1 January 1917. There is no citation, but one imagines that his action on 1 July must have contributed to it. He was invested by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 5 September 1917. Billy, back in France with the 2/9th Manchesters from March 1917, saw his first Military Cross gazetted on 1 January 1918. Again, there is no citation, but Billy was the Battalion's Adjutant for several months, and was at the first Battle of Passchendaele, so one could surmise that his bravery during this action contributed to it. Back in the Somme area, countering the German advance of March 1918, Billy and Kenneth were awarded the MC within two days of each other. Billy's Bar was awarded near Framerville on 25 March: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in operations. Units of his brigade were carrying out a heavy rearguard action, and the enemy were pressing hard. By his great personal courage, energy and example, he encouraged the troops to a dogged resistance, thus giving time for the construction of a fresh line and for its occupation by other troops.\n Kenneth's MC came on 27 March, near Bucquoy: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in operations. Units of his brigade were carrying out a heavy rearguard action, and the enemy were pressing hard. By his great personal courage, energy and example, he encouraged the troops to a dogged resistance, thus giving time for the construction of a fresh line and for its occupation by other troops.\n Two months later, Billy - by now Acting Brigade Major 9th Btn Manchester Regiment, Territorial Force, 198th Infantry Brigade, 66th Division - was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Gold Star for action between 27 May and 4 June. Captain WB Bagshaw MC, Manchester Regt & Staff. A montré, pendant des opérations entre le 27 mai et le 4 juin 1918, beaucoup d’initiative et de dévouement. Le 28 mai a réussi, malgré de violents feux de mitrailleuses, à regrouper des hommes ayant perdu leurs unités. Par l’ascendant qu’il avait pris sur ces hommes, grâce à son calme, a pu opposer une sérieuse résistance à l’ennemi et lui faire subir de lourdes pertes. Au GG, le 13 août 1918, Le Général commandant le 5e corps d’Armée.\n Translation: During operations between 27 May and 4 June 1918 he showed much initiative and devotion to duty. On 28 May he succeeded, in spite of heavy machine-gun fire, in regrouping men who had lost their units. Through his leadership of these men, thanks to his calm, he was able to offer serious resistance to the enemy and cause him to suffer heavy losses.\n Amazingly, all three brothers survived the War, though all had been wounded at various times. Billy and Kenneth were invested by the King with their Military Crosses on 3 March 1920 at Buckingham Palace. A treasured family photograph shows them with their widowed mother and with their brother Horace on the day of the investiture. || Photograph of Billy, Horace and Kenneth Bagshaw, with their mother, on 3 March 1920 - the day that Billy and Kenneth were invested with their Military Crosses.

Photograph of Alvin Whitely, at his son's wedding. Back row from left - Alvin Whiteley, his second son Geoffrey, Mr Edginton (father of bride). Front row from left - Alvin's wife Lilian, Alvin's elder son Philip, bride Marjorie Edginton, Mrs Edginton.

Photograph of Corporal Alvin Whitely, with his father Albert Edward Whiteley (Ted), mother Clara Whiteley nee Wood, and his sister Margaret Whiteley (seated).