Medals to James Edward Barnes

[leon21]

Here are the medals to a soldier from my home town who lived less than a mile from me, he lived in the village of Lees.

James Edward Barnes Private No 13437 of 11th Battalion Manchester Regiment Born 16th May 1884 in Lees, son of

Thomas and Rachel Barnes of Andrews Street Lees, Thomas was a Cotton Cardroom Hand and James was a Cotton Spinner,

they both would have worked at one of 5 local Cotton Mills in the area.

James married Eliza Mary Frost ( born 11th April 1883 ) at the Oldham Register Office on 17th March 1906, they later had a

daughter called Hannah and lived at 18 Butler Street Lees.

James enlisted on the 31st October 1914 in Oldham an did his training at the 63rd Regimental District  Aston-Under-Lyne  Barracks.

He was attached to the 11th Battalion M/C Regiment part of 34th Brigade of the 11th ( Northern ) Division which was formed

at Ashton-under- Lyne  in August of 1914 as part K1.

Moved in April 1915 to Witley Camp near Godalming, on the 30th June 1915 the Division sailed from Liverpool on the ships

Aquitania and the Empress of Britain, going via Mudros to Suvla Bay Gallipoli disembarking on 6th August 1915.

Order of Battle of the 11th ( Northern ) Division.

( 32nd Brigade ).

9th Batt the West Yokshire Reg.

6th Batt the Yorkshire Reg.

6th Batt the York & Lancaster Reg.

8th Batt the Duke of Wellingtons Reg.

32nd Machine Gun Company                 ( Formed  March 1916 ).

32nd Trench Mortar Battery                   ( Joined 17 July 1916 ).

( 33rd Brigade ).

6th Batt the Lincolnshire Reg.

6th Batt the Border Reg.

7th Batt the South Staffordshire Reg.

9th Batt the Sherwood Foresters.

33rd Machine Gun Company                  ( Formed March 1916 ).

33rd Trench Mortar Battery.                   ( Joined July 1916 ).

( 34th Brigade ).

8th Batt the Northumberland Fusiliers.

9th Batt the Lancashire Fusiliers.

5th Batt the Dorsetshire Reg.

11th Batt the Manchester Reg.

34th Machine Gun Company.                   ( Formed March 1916 ).

34th Trench Mortar Battery.                     ( Joined July 1916 ).

( Divisional Troops ).

Pioneers.

Mounted Troops.

Artillery.

Engineers.

Train A S C.

22nd Mobile Veterinary Section.

213th Employment Company.

11th Motor Ambulance Workshop.

The landing at Suvla Bay on the 6th August 1915 was done in lighters towed by destroyers, the first to land was

the 11th Manchester Battalion along with the 9th Lancashire Fusiliers.

They both came under heavy fire immediatly after being cast off by the destroyers, on landing they were to clear

the Trenches by bayonet only, they had little food and no water for the first few day.

Later they would push the Turks back and clear the trenches on the ridges  The Battalions deserve credit for the

way they stuck to their task.

on 19/20 December 1915 they were to Evacuate Gallipoli and move to Imbos and on the 26th Jan 1916 the Division

moved to Egypt landing at Alexandria.

On the 2nd Feb they moved to Sidi Bishr for re-training and on the 19th Feb the Division took over a section of the

Suez Canal Defences.

Below are a few Photos from other sources and documents.

1. Map of Gallipoli.

2. Photo of Evacuation from Suvla Bay.

3. Medal index card.

4. Letter from his wife.

5. Photo of Medals.

 

 

 

 

 

                                 Part Two to Follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fritz]

Do you have these medals?

[leon21]

Yes got them a Couple of months ago took me some time to do the research on James, I was lucky Ancestry had a free week for

Remembrance week managed to find his records.

[Gildwiller1918]

Very nice! He definitely got to see some unique areas during the conflict. 

[leon21]

Part Two             (  Onward to France )

 

On 17th June 1916 the Division were given orders to move to France, the move was completed by the 8th of July when they arrived

in Marseilles. And 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            (  15-22 Sept 1916 )

In Reserve Army ( Gough )

11 Corps ( Jacobs )

 

The Battle of Thiepval                            ( 26-28 Sept 1916 )

In Reserve Army ( Gough )

11 Corps ( Jacobs )

Phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916.

 

1917 Operations on the Acre

Actions within this phase of fighting included

In Fifth Army ( Gough )

IV Corps ( Woollcombe )

The Capture of Munich Trench         (10-11 Jan 1917 )

 

The Battle of Messines                          ( 7-14 Jun 1917

II Army ( Plumer )

IX Corps ( Gordon )

and the Capture of Wytschaete.

 

The Battle of Langemarck                   ( 16-18 Aug 1917 )

In Fifth Army ( Gough )

XVIII Corps ( Maxse )

 

Also Actions in the Battle of Menin Road    (20-25 Sept 1917 )

In Fifth Army ( Gough )

XVIII Corps ( Maxse )

 

The Battle of Polygon Wood             (26 Sept-3 Oct 1917 )

In Fifth Army ( Gough )

XVIII Corps ( Maxse )

 

The Battle of Broodseinde                 ( 4 Oct 1917 )

In Fifth Army ( Gough )

XVIII Corps ( Maxse )

 

The Battle of Poelcpelle                     ( 9 Oct 1917 )

In Fifth Army (Gough )

XVIII Corps ( Maxse )

 

Actions in the Second Battles of Arras 1918 

Phase The Battle of Scarpe              ( 26-30 Aug 1918 )

In First Army ( Horne )

XXII Corps ( Godley )

 

The Battle of the Canal du Nord     ( 27 Sept-1 Oct 1918 )

First Army ( Horne )

Canadian Corps ( Currie )

on the 27th Sept 1918 James Edward Barnes was wounded in action with a gun shot wound to the Knee.

He was discharged from the Army on 19 Jan 1919, he returned to his old job as a Cotton Spinner and Died in 1965 aged 81.