Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

British War Medal 1914-20 (10) (203061 Pte. C. S. Donaldson. Lan. Fus.; 281053 Pte. W. Goulding. Lan. Fus.; 32725 Pte. J. Minshull. Lan. Fus.; 16538 Pte. B. Cartin. Lan. Fus.; 4614 Pte. J. W. Hitchin. Lan. Fus.; 10178 Pte. J. Anderson. Lan. Fus.; 2269 Pte. L. Taylor. Lan. Fus.; 2840 Pte. W. Noon. Lan. Fus.; 47375 Pte. E. Birkhead. Lan. Fus.; 12526 Pte. J. W. Burton. Lan. Fus.) very fine or better (10) £100-140

Clifford Stuart Donaldson, of St. Annes-on-the-Sea, Lancashire, served with the 3/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers and was killed in action on 10 October 1917 during his battalion’s actions in the Battle of Poelcappelle. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

William Goulding, a native of Heywood, Lancashire, served with the 2/7th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in France from February 1917. He was killed in action on 14 July 1917 when his battalion came under artillery fire near Coxyde. He is buried in Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium.

John Minshull served with the 17th (Service) Battalion (1st South East Lancashire) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (Bantams). He served through the Battles of the Somme and Passchendaele, and was killed in action on 11 February 1918 when his battalion was making its way to the front line near Turco Camp to relieve the 15th Sherwood Foresters. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

Bernard Cartin served with the Lancashire Fusiliers before transferring to the Labour Corps.

John W. Hitchin served on the Western Front with the 2/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.

Joseph Anderson, a native of Salford, served on the Western Front with the 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Salford), Lancashire fusiliers, landing in France on 23 November 1915. He was later attached to the 21st (Reserve) Battalion and died at home on 27 January 1917 of Lymphoma. He is buried in Salford (Weaste) Cemetery, England.

Leonard Taylor enlisted into the 1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers on 3 September 1914 and landed in Egypt on 25 September 1914. The battalion went onto serve at Gallipoli from 5 May 1915, returning to Egypt the following December. Taylor was discharged on 20 July 1916 due to sickness.

William Noon was born in Widnes and resided in Warrington. He served on the Western Front with the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, landing on 22 August 1914. He appears in the 25 October 1914 Casualty List as being admitted to the 2nd Scottish General Hospital, Edinburgh. He was later posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion and then to the 1st Battalion, and died of wounds on the 28th July 1916. It is very likely that he took part in his battalion’s famous attack on Beaumont-Hamel from the ‘sunken road’ on 1 July 1916 and it is possible that he may have sustained his wounds in the same action. He is buried in St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France.

Edward Birkhead served with the 2/8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.

John William Burton served with the 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Salford), Lancashire Fusiliers, landing in France on 23 November 1915. He was later posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion.