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The DLOY 2018
The DLOY currently consists of the serving Squadron, the Regimental Trust, the Old Comrades Association, the Museum and Red Rose Club. The Squadron’s activities are reported elsewhere, so here is a resume of what the other parts of the “family” have been getting up to.
The Regimental Trust is the overarching body that links the pieces together, with Trustees who all served in the DLOY in some capacity. It holds a small pot of money which it can use to benefit “family”. In the last year the Trust has made a small contribution to Squadron adventure training and is looking to refurbish some of the “scarlets” (ceremonial uniforms). The Trust is expecting to have to financially help the Regimental Museum in the very near future.
The Old Comrades Association is chaired by Major John Eastham (snr) with the able and energetic support of their Secretary Captain John Cavanagh. There has been much discussion over the last year about how to widen the membership and participation in the OCA, especially amongst the RMLY and QOY vintage. Ideas on what former members of the DLOY (of whatever era or geographic area) are actively wanted, so do get in touch.
Current OCA activities are centered around the annual dinner and reunion (on the evening of the Grand National), and the Remembrance Sunday parade (with curry lunch). Both events are the usual mix of old friends, old stories and fine examples of responsible eating and drinking!
2018 did of course give the OCA the additional opportunity to march at the Guidon Parade. It was good to see that the red rose was well represented, despite the venue being over the border.
The DLOY Museum Trust holds a varied collection of uniforms, small arms, pictures and ephemera, which have been stored, curated and displayed for twenty five years in Lancashire County Council’s “Museum of Lancashire” (MoL). After LCC’s decision to close their museum the Trustees first worked to reopen it in a consortium with 14/20th (whose collection was also at the MoL).
This plan sadly came to nothing, so the Trustees are in the final throws of organising the removal of the collection from the MoL. Negotiations are under way with the Duchy of Lancaster, in an attempt to display some items at Lancaster Castle, but the bulk of the collection will probably have to go into storage (ISO containers) at the Wigan ARC. We hope to display some items in the recently opened military “Hub” provided by Wigan Council.
The Red Rose Club is the DLOY Officers dining club, though membership does (through custom and practice) also include the military Deputy Lieutenants of the County Palatine. Members (and guests) dine in Manchester once a year and hold a lunch after the Cavalry Memorial parade.
DLOY OCA 2018 Battlefield Trip (Graham Taylor)
In June 2018 myself and five other members of the DLOY Old Comrades Association Phil Burgess, John Norburn, Lawrence Ward, Gary Jones and Mick Johnson undertook a second consecutive self-led Battlefield Tour of France and Flanders. Three days on the Somme were followed by three days in Flanders and culminated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres and the reading of the Exhortation by myself under the famous arch.
This condensed version of our second day concentrates on our visit to the WW1 graves and memorials of fallen DLOY comrades.
Day 2 was spent in the Somme Valley, starting at Peronne in the east then criss-crossing the River Somme for 45 miles to the city of Amiens. In Peronne, 16 miles from our digs at La Boiselle we visited a DLOY grave belonging to 110058 Tpr James Arthur Cryer, a member of C Sqn. James was born in Southport, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Cryer. The family moved to 11 Jackson St, Blackpool and it was from here that he enlisted. He died of his wounds on 3 April 1917 aged 26 and is buried in Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension, grave No. IV. H.17.
Next up was a 10 mile trip to Eclusier to visit another DLOY grave belonging to 1100178 Tpr. Hartley James Hughes, another member of C Sqn. Hartley died of his wounds on 25 March 1917 aged 35. Hartley was the son of John and Annie Hughes and lived at 6 St. Johns, Liverpool. He is buried in grave No. B8 in Eclusier Communal Cemetery, a tiny French village cemetery on the banks of the River Somme with just 23 military burials.
A couple of miles from Eclusier is the hamlet of Cappy. Here we visited the site of a forward German airfield and also the Chateau de Cappy, Baron Von Richthofen’s officer’s mess. It was from here that he took off on his last fatal flight in 1918. Fifteen miles up the road at Vaux sur Somme we stopped again on the trail of the Red Baron and visited the site where he was shot down and killed near the St. Colette brickworks.
Nearby is the town of Corbie where we paid our respects at another DLOY grave. 1124 Tpr Thomas Ridyard, the son of Richard and Mary Ridyard of Old Clough Farm, Walkden was born in 1870 and enlisted in Manchester. Thomas was killed in action on 4 January 1917 aged 48 and is buried in the French La Neuville Communal Cemetery, grave No. B49.
Interestingly the cemetery only holds 188 burials but from 58 different Regiments. In April 1916, No.21 Casualty Clearing Station came to La Neuville and remained there throughout the 1916 Battles of the Somme, until March 1917. Most of the burials date from this period, but a few graves were added during the fighting on the Somme in 1918. The CWGC graves form one long row on the eastern side of the cemetery.
On the way to Amiens we stopped off at Villers Brettoneux Australian Cemetery and War Memorial. In WW2 the cemetery was the scene of another action. In May 1940 French Senegalese troops used the tower as an artillery observation and machine gun post. Two German Panzers attacked the French position from the direction of Villers Bretonneux. One veered right to the back of the cemetery, the other broke through the southern boundary wall and over the first two rows of graves. Plots 19 and 20 before opening fire on the tower. German ground troops surrounded the tower and after a fierce firefight captured it. During the engagement the tower was also strafed by a ME 109 fighter.The damaged headstones and major damage to the tower were repaired but bullet marks on the Cross of Sacrifice, the memorial itself, some headstones and on the metal register holder have been left as honourable scars of battle.
From Villers Brettoneux it was 16 miles to the city of Amiens where we visited the scene of a famous WW2 low level bombing raid on Amiens Prison codenamed Operation Jericho. The objective was to free French resistance and political prisoners, it was a success but the leader of the raid Group Capt. Percy Pickard and his navigator Fl. Lt. John Broadley were killed when their Mosquito was shot down by a German FW 190 fighter. The two Yorkshiremen were buried a few hundred yards up the road in St. Pierre cemetery.
Also in St. Pierre cemetery are two more Regimental graves. Capt. Jack Eckersley Greenall DLOY was attached to 52 Sqn Royal Flying Corps and was killed in action on 31 March 1918 aged 28. He is buried in Grave No. IX.A.3. Jack was born in Lymm, Cheshire in 1889 and baptised at St. Mary's parish church on 16 May 1889. His father, Henry, was a solicitor. Jack had three siblings and by the beginning of the twentieth century, the family had moved to Hill Cliffe House, Appleton and then to the Elms, Moore in 1903.
Jack was a keen sportsman, being particularly fond of cricket, shooting and hunting. He was educated at Sandroyd School in Salisbury, Eton and Oxford. He was apprenticed to S. Reynold’s and Co. Tannery in Warrington where he joined the DLOY. When the regiment was dismounted in 1917, he joined the Royal Flying Corps. In early March 1918, Jack sent his parents a letter from the front saying that he was ‘quite well’. Not long afterwards, his parents received the worst news, a telegram telling them of his death. ‘According to a letter from a fellow officer Captain Greenall went up as a navigator on a bombing patrol when the machine was attacked by five enemy scouts, Jack was killed almost immediately. The pilot 2 Lt. W Dance was wounded but landed the machine on the British side.’
A memorial service was held at St Thomas’ Church, Stockton Heath. As a mark of respect, S Reynolds and Co. (Tannery), G and J Greenall (Distillery) and Henry Greenall and Co (Solicitors) were all closed while the service took place.
In June 2002 Jack’s medals, the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, his memorial plaque and an illustrated memorial scroll were sold at auction for £780.
The other grave belongs to 3955/110553 Tpr. Harry Stott DLOY who died 31 May 1919 aged 24. He is buried in Grave No. XV.A.4. The 1911 census shows Harry living with his parents Thomas and Mary Ann and older brother Percy at 47 Chester St, Oldham. He was unmarried and his occupation is shown as assistant costing clerk for an electrical machinery manufacturers.
Our last visit on Day 2 was to the iconic Thiepval Memorial to the Missing to pay respects to two DLOY soldiers who have no known grave. 110604 Tpr William McLure DLOY was killed in action on 30 March 1917 aged 48. He was originally from Kilmarnock in Scotland but enlisted in Manchester. His name is on Pier & Face 1A.
110482 L/Cpl Harry Whitaker DLOY was killed in action on 24 March 1917 aged 26. Harry was the son of Robert & Elizabeth Whitaker of Honor Oak, 41 Clifton Rd, Southport. His name is also on Pier & Face 1A.
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