The Ellesmere Port War Memorial situated near the Civic Hall

The aim of this project is to trace the men of the Ellesmere Port War Memorial and to research a brief biography of each man. The battlefields of Belgium and France are also visited regularly to discover more about where the men fought and where they are now remembered.

There is also a focus on how the war affected Ellesmere Port highlighting the hardships and experiences of those enduring life on the home front.

Much of this has been the basis of the book 'Canal Port at War - Britain and the Home Front during the First World War' by Mike Royden (2014)

After this website showed great concern as to the plight of the war memorial of the men of the Mersey Ironworks, and contacted relevant authorities to ensure its safekeeping in storage, it has now been refurbished and relocated in a fitting new memorial garden site, very close to the former site of the factory. More details here.

After over a decade of campaigning, a war graves sign was eventually erected on the main road opposite Christchurch. Click here for further details.

Numerous events have been organised to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War, many of which can be found on the Great War Stories Web Site. Mike Royden has been engaged to give several lectures on aspects of the war and how to go about carrying out your own research. Click here for further details.

Visit this page to see the current list of men that have been researched, plus a full listing of the men on the panels of the war memorial. There are also numerous men of Ellesmere Port that have not been recorded on the memorial and these men will also be featured once research is complete.

The Caldicott brothers, William and John, were originally from Bilston in the Black Country, and had moved to the Port with hundreds of others before the war to follow the move made by the Wolverhampton Iron Works in order to take up employment there. They had the chance to avoid signing up for military service as they were in exempted occupations, but both men wouldnt hear of it and went together to enlist for the Liverpool Pals. Their story is a heartbreaking one, both with their battlefield experiences and life at home.

Click here for a fully illustrated story, plus links to their war record.

The Hardwicks came from Tipton in Staffordshire, where William Hardwick, was born into a family of iron workers in the industrial heartlands of the Black Country. Like many of his friends and neighbours he saw brighter prospects opening up at the expansion of the canal town in Ellesmere Port, especially once the Wolverhampton Iron Works had led the way, moving their operation north to the Port’s canal side. The family arrived in Ellesmere Port around 1910, moving into 8 Woodfield Road, close to the Iron Works. When the war came all seven sons signed up for military service.

Click here for a fully illustrated story of this patriotic Ellesmere Port family, plus their war records and other original documents.

The Dodd family of Ellesmere Port was another of those local families that saw practically all of their sons sign up for active service. Either eight or nine passed through the recruiting office – the precise number remains unknown as documents have not survived – but this was a phenomenal commitment to the war effort and the call for volunteers.

Click here for a fully illustrated story of this patriotic Ellesmere Port family, plus their war records and other original documents.

Private Arthur Williams had already been a career soldier,serving with the Royal Munster Fusilliers between 1904-7, which included two years on Gibraltar. His service also included signing for an additional 9 years in the Army Reserve. Meanwhile, his family relocated from Wolverhampton to Ellesmere Port following the move made by the Wolverhampton Iron Works. At the start of the war both Arthur and his father were working there, but as a Reservist Arthur was mobilised immediately and was in France within days, fighting in the The Battle of the Mons, the first engagement of the war,

He took part in the legendary rear guard action where just three companies of Royal Munster Fusilliers held their ground against the full might of the German Army, allowing the bulk of the British Army (the B.E.F.) to retreat safely. The battalion was decimated, but Arthur's fate was to take a tragic turn.

Click here for a fully illustrated story and to access original documents.

Research has revealed that at the latest count there are almost thirty men who were not recorded on the war memorial. Occasionally, new items appear in the local press drawing attention to the fact that a name has been missed off, and that the local authorities are being contacted with a view to putting the anomaly right. However, this is actually nothing unusual, although of course it is perfectly understandable that descendants wish to see the name of their family member added in due course. In this case Private George Keates, who returned home seriously ill after being gassed while in action, died at home in 1920 at the age of only twenty. He was buried in Christchurch Cemetery. His name was not put forward for the War Memorial and he remained unrecorded, until January 2015 when his name was finally added following a ceremony attended by local dignitaries and family members.

When war broke out, Albert was an early volunteer, signing on in September 1914 in Ellesmere Port and being posted to the 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment. After several months intensive training he was in Flanders with the B.E.F. on 6 April 1915. On 25 May 1915 he was reported missing after action near Ypres, and was presumed killed in action. He was never found. His name is recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres. However, due to his itinerant life he was not recorded on the Ellesmere Port War Memorial. This was finally rectified in 2014.

Numerous men from the Port were awarded mililtary honours including Second Lieutenant Leonard Richmond, who had the highest honour bestowed on a local Ellesmere Port man, which was the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) .   He was also awarded the French Croix-de-Geurre with palm (the second highest level of the ward).   

There were many more awards for bravery including a Military Cross, several Distinguished Conduct Medals and numerous Military Medals.

Click here to view those men who were honoured.

Research is not confined to the men on the war memorial. Much has been discovered about local men held as prisoner's of war behind enemy lines. Joe Mercer was Ellesmere Port's most famous son at the start of the war, having been signed by First Division club Nottingham Forest F.C. after a scout spotted him playing for the local works team, Burnell's Iron Works (a.k.a. Ellesmere Port Town F.C.). He signed on for the footballer's regiment in late 1914, was wounded and later taken prisoner. (He is the father of Joe Mercer junior who later captained Everton, Arsenal, England, and managed Manchester City to the League Championship, before having a short term as England manager).

James Gilbride wasted little time in volunteering at the end of August 1914, and was assigned to the newly formed 9th Battalion Cheshire Regiment. His brother Thomas went in the Welch Regiment, while his wife's brother was with the Welsh Guards.

Originally from Chester, this family of millers were attracted to a move to Ellesmere Port after the opening the new Flour Mills on the dock estate.

Click here for a fully illustrated story and to access copies of original documents.

William Manford was another recent Black Country migrant who came to the Port to work in the Wolverhampton Iron Works. When the war came he returned home to sign on for the 2nd South Staffordshire Regiment.

At the age of only seventeen he was awarded the D.C.M., a high ranking award for gallantry in the field, where he made several journeys under fire to recover machine gun equipment despite being wounded twice.

Click here for his story.

Harry Griffiths volunteered for active service on 15 August 1915, in Birkenhead, leaving his wife and two infant children to join the Cameron Highlanders. However, he became ill during training in the severe Scottish winter and was discharged only four months later. Then began the fight for support as home life became a desperate struggle to keep their home and stay out debt.

Click here for a fully illustrated story and to access original documents.

Most Commonwealth War Graves sites have a direction sign whether at home or abroad (you may have passed the war graves sign for Blacon in our locality). As you can see on our link for the War Memorial in the left menu, there are several Commonwealth War Graves from WW1 in the cemetery of Christchurch, the former parish church for Ellesmere Port. However, there is no direction sign which we feel is essential for this tucked away site. We initially raised this with the Ellesmere Port Pioneer who helped publicise the campaign. The local British Legion also gave their support, although the Commonwealth War Graves Commision do not own the land and cannot be involved.

Although a plaque was placed on the wall of the church, it seems the local council do not feel the memory of these local men is important enough to warrant a road sign similar to those found throughout the Western Front and at home. Clearly, more respect to our war dead is paid in France and Belgium than by the authorities in Ellesmere Port.

In December 2007 a memorial plaque was erected on the external wall of Christchuch to remember the men buried in the churchyard who died as a result of service in the First World War. Click here for the full report and photographs.

This site has been featured several times in the local press. Articles include research into the local men of the war memorial, battlefield visits and the campaign for a direction sign at Christchurch, Ellesmere Port. Click here for the Media page

Read about the cruel tragedy that befell the Bousfield family. A father who loses three sons to the war, two of whom were never found.

The story of Ben Whitby was greatly enhanced following contact by a relative, who kindly supplied copies of family photographs and family tree. (Also featured in the local press coverage of this site). Biographical details here.

Alan Gregson, who has spent a number of years researching World War One history, including the War Memorial in Stoak village, has supplied us with numerous photographs of some of the soldiers on the war memorial, taken from the local press articles of obituary notices during the war, plus the photograph of the Bousfield brothers. We are most grateful for his contribution and hope this collaboration will continue to be fruitful.