Richard Dewhurst

In memoriam

RANK Gunner. SERVICE NUMBER 294040 BATTALION 143rd Heavy Battery (known as ‘The Ashton Strafers’). REGIMENT Royal Garrison Artillery (Ashton-u-Lyne). DATE AND PLACE ENLISTED Ashton-u-Lyne on 1st November 1915. DATE FIRST SERVED IN THEATRE OF WAR 25th July 1916 sailed for Salonika, Greece. DIED OF ILLNESS Aged 25 PLACE OF DEATH 21st Stationary Hospital in Salonika. INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICE Richard originally had the regimental number 3312 in the Royal Garrison Artillery before he changed to 294040. He sailed from Devonport on 25th July 1916 and landed in Salonika two weeks later on 7th August. Richard beached disciplinary rules governing his conduct and found himself given field punishments on 3 occasions during 1916 and 1917. He had a spell in hospital suffering from Malaria from 30th April 1918 but he was able to re-join his unit on 12th August 1918. Malaria was one of the biggest killers of men who served in this arena. INFORMATION ABOUT REGIMENT Heavy Batteries of the RGA were equipped with heavy guns, sending large calibre high explosive shells in fairly flat trajectory fire. The usual armaments were 60 pounder (5 inch) guns, although some had less effective 5 inch howitzers. As British artillery tactics developed, the Heavy Batteries were most often employed in destroying or neutralising the enemy artillery, as well as putting destructive fire down on strongpoints, dumps, store, roads and railways behind enemy lines. EVENTS LEADING TO DEATH On 14th October 1918 Richard was admitted to 667 Ambulance, from there he was taken to the 21st Stationary Hospital. His relatives were informed that he was dangerously ill shortly after his arrival. He died of Bronchial Pneumonia two weeks later. WAR MEMORIALS LISTINGS St John the Baptist War Memorial, Roughtown, Mossley. Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School Roll of Honour, Roaches, Mossley. MEDALS British War and Victory Medals. FAMILY INFORMATION:- NAME OF FATHER Richard Dewhurst. NAME OF MOTHER Ellen Dewhurst nee Wood. DATE AND PLACE OF PARENTS MARRIAGE 1886 at St Peter’s Church, Hindley, Lancashire. NAME OF SISTERS WITH YEAR OF BIRTH Elizabeth Ellen 1886, Annie 1888 and Jane 1890 all born in Hindley. (Elizabeth Ellen died 1887 in Hindley Jane died 1891 in Oldham). Sarah Ann 1892 born in Oldham. Alice 1896 born in Droylsden. NAME OF BROTHERS WITH YEAR OF BIRTH Richard 1892 (died 1893), born/died in Oldham. Harry 1898, born in Droylsden. James 1901, Robert 1904 and Albert 1906 All born in Mossley and all died under the age of 1, (James in Hindley, Robert and Albert in Mossley). OCCUPATION. Employed as a Cotton Piecer at Messrs Clare’s Mill in Greenfield. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION: Sister Sarah Ann married John Appleby on 2nd August 1914, at St Johns Church, Roughtown, Mossley. John was killed in action at Pietre, on the France/Belgium border, on 25th September 1915 he has no known grave. Sarah Ann married Arthur Gray in 1920 at the same church. It is not known what became of her as there are too many similarly named records.

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