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Description A good Military Medal 9th battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (For a trench raid inOctober 1917) Military Medal (Geo V) 7650 Pte F. Liddiard. 9/Lanc. Fus Fred Liddiard was born in Thornsett, near New Mills in Derbyshire, on the 8th December 1884. He was the son of William Liddiard (b.1852), a labourer at the nearby Calico Printworks and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Liddiard (nee Kilby) (1857 – 1933). Fred was the third of the couple’s five known children Shortly after war was declared in August 1914, Fred enlisted into the Army, joining the 9th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. The 9th (Service) Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, the first Service battalion of the regiment, was formed in Bury, Lancashire on the 31st August 1914 as part of the First New Army (K1) and then moved to Belton Park, Grantham to join the 34th Brigade of the 11th (Northern) Division. On the 18th October, still desperately short of uniform and equipment, the infantry of the Division was inspected by Lord Kitchener at Belton Park. On the 4th April 1915 the Division assembled at Witley and Frensham, where final training was undertaken. King George V inspected the Division on Hankey Common on the 31st May 1915. On the 12th June, the Division received orders to prepare for service at Gallipoli. Embarkation took place at Liverpool from the 30th June 1917, with much of the Division sailing on the Aquitania and Empress of Britain. Mudros was reached by Divisional HQ and 32nd Brigade on 10 July. On the 6th – 7th August 1915 the Division landed near Lala Baba at Suvla Bay. The Division took part in various actions during the Gallipoli campaign including The Battle of Scimitar Hill and the attack on Hill 60. On the 18th December 1915 the Battalion evacuated to Mudros due to the severe casualties from combat, disease and harsh weather and in January 1916 moved to Egypt, arriving at Alexandria on the 31st January 1916 where the Division was involved in the defence of the Suez Canal. On the 17th June 1916 the Division received orders for a move to France. Embarkcation was completed at Alexandria The Division received orders on 17 June 1916 for a move to France. Embarkation at Alexandria was completed on the 3rd July and by 7th Divisional HQ had been set up at Flesselles. By the 27th July, the Division had taken over part of the front in Third Army sector. The Division then took part in the following operations: The capture of the Wundt-Werk The Battle of Flers-Courcelette The Battle of Thiepval 1917 was to see the Division engaged in a number of actions including: Operations on the Ancre The Battle of Messines The Battle of the Langemarck The Battle of Polygon Wood The Battle of Broodseinde The Battle of Poelcapelle On the 4th October, the 9th Lancashire Fusiliers took part in the attack at Poelcapelle. The following description of the action appears in a report within the Battalion War Diary. NARRATIVE OF OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS. 4th – 6th OCTOBER, 1917. Prior to taking part in Offensive Operations on 4th October, 1917, the Battalion relieved the 9th West Yorkshire Regt. on night 2/3rd in the right sub-sector of the Divnl. Front. W and X Companies took over the advanced posts and Front Line. Y Company were in Support at MON BULCARE and Z Coy. Remained West of the CANAL BANK. Battn. H.Q. at BULOW FARM. The Battalion, with 7th Royal Warwicks. on the right and 11th Manchester Regt. on the left, was ordered to attack a line running, approximately, from GLOSTER FARM to TERRIER FARM. It was decided that the Battalion should form up about 100 yards EAST of the STROOMBEEK and 100 yards in rear of our line of posts. W and X Companies were detailed to carry out the assault, Y Coy. to be in Support and Z Coy. to be in reserve. During the night 2/3rd the lines for forming up on were laid out with string and reconnoitred by O.C. Companies. Shortly after dusk on night 3/4th the forming up tape was laid by 2/Lt. BREWER and Regtl. Scouts, and patrols were sent out by the forward Coys. to prevent any enemy observing that anything unusual was taking place near our front line. One line of tape was laid for W and X Coys. to form up on, and one for Y Coy. Z Coy. formed up in rear of Y Coy. The depth of the Battalion when formed up was about 100 yards. A tape to show the boundary line between W and X Coys. was laid at right angles to the forming-up tapes. Shortly before midnight an enemy Patrol was encountered. Three of the patrol were killed and one taken prisoner, but it is not known whether the remaining man succeeded in making his way back to the enemy lines. At 3.15 a.m. W and X Coys. commenced to evacuate their front line, leaving a small covering party in each post. Zero was at 6 a.m. By 4.45 a.m. all the Battalion were in position. At Zero-minus 3 hours Battalion Headquarters moved from BULOW FARM to a small trench about 50 yards WESST of the STROONBEEK. About half an hour before Zero the enemy commenced to put down a light barrage, but, fortunately, all the shells, with the exception of a few, fell in rear of where the Battalion had formed up. W and X Coys. each attacked with one Platoon in one wave of two lines, one Platoon in Support and one Platoon in Reserve. W Coy. was on the left and X Coy. on the right. Prior to the attack beginning, all the Section of the Support and Reserve Platoons of X Coy. had been detailed to deal with known obstacles. Similarly, one Platoon and one Section of 3rd Platoon of W Coy. had been detailed to capture known obstacles. Shortly before Zero Capt. PARKE (O.C.Y Coy.) was wounded but was able to carry on until reaching the DOTTED RED LINE, where he was again wounded. The Barrage opened well at Zero and, with the exception of a few highbbursts and several shells dropping short, was very good. On reaching the DOTTED RED LINE, one Platoon of Y Company reinforced X Coy. and remained under the orders of O.C. X Coy. until final Objectives was captured. Before the Battalion advanced from the DOTTED RED LINE to the RED LINE, Capt. PARKE (O.C. Y Coy.), Lt. HILLING (O.C. W Coy.), until final Objective was captured. Before the Battalion advanced from the DOTTED RED LINE to the RED LINE, Capt. PARKE (O.C. Y Coy.), Lt. HILLING (O.C. W Coy.), and 2/Lt. HARTER, had become casualties, the first two being wounded and the latter killed. About this time also, Major MILNES (C.O.) was hit whilst going out to meet a wounded Officer to obtain some information as to how the attack was progressing. He remained at Battn. H.Q. until the RED LINE had been captured. After Major MILNES had been evacuated, Lt. PEMBERTON took Command of the Battalion. While waiting on the DOTTED RED LINE, the enemy were seen to be massing close to TERRIER FARM, preparatory to making a counter-attack. No serious opposition, however, was encountered from them during the Second Stage of the Advance. The advance from the DOTTED RED LINE to the RED LINE was carried out in perfect order and with little opposition. By the time that the Final Objectives had been captured, Lieut. HARRIS (O.C. X Coy.), Capt. ROWLERSON (O.C. Z Coy.), Lt. FLETCHER (S.O.), and 2/Lt. WETHERALL (Y Co.) had been wounded, and 2/Lt. FIELDING (Z Coy.) killed. 2/Lt. LEA (X Coy.) was also wounded, but not evacuated. 2/Lt. BREWER (Intelligence Officer) left Battn. H.Q. on the STROMBEEK about 11 a.m. to find a place for Battn. H.Q. somewhere W. of DOTTED RED LINE. Nothing has since been heard of what became of him. During the advance nine Enemy Machine Guns were captured. The number of prisoners is not known, but there were a considerable number of enemy dead on the captured ground. The RED LINE was consolidated as follows:- W and X Coy. each dug in in a line of fortified shell holes about 80 yards in front of the Objective. These were gradually linked up to form posts. In rear of this, Y Coy. made a line of posts, amd Z. Coy. a third line in rear of Y Coy. About 12.45 p.m. Battn. H.Q. moved from the STROOMBEEK to a position about 300 yards in rear of GLOSTER FARM. For the first part of the attack Communication was maintained by Runners and Telephone. After the final Objective had been captured, it was carried out by visual and runners. Captain R.H. SPITTAL (Medical Officer) and Captain The Rev. S.F. CLARKE (Chaplain) were killed shortly after Zero. The evacuation of the wounded was carried out as quickly as possible under the circumstances. The enemy counter-attacks were driven off; one made about 4.30 p.m. against the left and right flanks, and one at about 6.30 p.. against the Battalion on our Left Flank. On the morning of the 5th. Capt. WARD-MCQUAID, who was at the Transport Lines, was ordered to come and take over Command of the Battalion. He was slightly wounded in the hand, on the 5th., but was not evacuated. The Battalion was relieved in the Front Line by the 5th Dorsets on night 5/6th, and was put in Bde. Reserve W. of the STEENBEEK. On night 7/8th. Battn. Proceeded to SIEGE CAMP. The total casualties during the Operations were:- KILLED 4 Officers and 15 Other Ranks. WOUNDED 8 Officers and 140 Other Ranks. MISSING 1 Officer and 53 Other Ranks. It is believed that a considerable number of the men reported “Missing” have been wounded and are in Hospital. [Signature] Captain 11th October, 1917. Commndg. 9th Lancashire Fusiliers. Little time was lost in the newspapers at home announcing the award of the Military Medal to Fred Liddiard with an announcement appearing in the High Peak Reporter on the 24th November. A transcription together with the photograph of Fred that appeared in the paper is below: THORNSETT SOLDIER’S HONOUR. The Military Medal for Corporal Fred Liddiard Last week we announced that Corporal Fred Liddiard, of the Lancashire Fusiliers, had been promoted to the rank of corporal on the battlefields of France. This week it gives us great pleasure to add that he gained another honour, having been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry and devotion to duty in the field. Corporal Liddiard joined up as a volunteer within a month of war breaking out, and has therefore been in the Army over three years. He has seen a tremendous amount of fighting. He took part in the famous Dardanelles fighting. Subsequently he fought against the Turks in Egypt, and for the last 18 months has been fighting in France. In all his campaigns he has had the good fortune to escape wounds. Before enlisting Corporal Liddiard was employed at the Birch Vale Printworks, and was a scholar at the Thornsett Primitive Methodist Sunday School. Many friends will heartily congratulate him, and wish him continued good luck and more decorations. Corporal Liddiard’s brother Squire is serving in Mesopotamia. The official announcement of the award appeared in the London Gazette on the 28th January 1918. In 1918, the Division was engaged in actions in both the Second Battles of Arras and the Battles of the Hindenburg Line, in particular: The Battle of the Scarpe The Battle of the Drocourt-Quant Line The Battle of the Canal du Nord The Battle of Cambrai 1918 The pursuit to the Selle The Battle of the Sambre including the passage of the Grand Honelle When the Armistice halted the fighting, the Division was on high ground east of Havay. Between the 26th and-28th November, the Division was moved back behind the River Scheldt. Demobilisation began in January 1919 and ended in June 1919. Fred was discharged to the “Z” Reserve on the 15th March 1919 and on the 30th August he married Jane Taylor at St. Paul’s church in Whitfield, Glossop. Their first child, a son they named Frank, was born on Christmas Day 1920. By the date of the 1921 Census, Fred, Jane and Frank were living at 7, Riverside Thornsett, Birch Vale. Fred is described as a Calico Print Work Labourer, working for The Calico India Association. Fred and Jane’s second child, another son, William, was born on the 29th December 1922. The National Register of 1939 found Fred, Jane and William living at 118, Birch Hall Cottages. Fred died in the 1st quarter of 1962. Condition – NEF NOTE: Sorry we cannot accept payment by PayPal for this item, We can accept payment by Credit / Debit Card, Bank Transfer or Cheque.
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