L/Cpl
James Gatley
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 01/06/1896 |
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Place of birth: Wincham, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lance Corporal |
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Service number: 43213 |
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Enlistment date: 26/01/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Chester, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Manchester Reigment, 17th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Between Clapham Junction and Jargon Trench, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 55 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Lance Corporal James Gatley served in the 17th (Service) Battalion (2nd City) Manchester Regiment, which was part of the 90th Brigade, 30th Division. The Battalion took part in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge on the 31st of July 1917.
The 90th brigade had two objectives. The first objective, called the ‘Blue Line’ was attacked at 3:50 a.m. by the 16th and 18th Manchester Battalions. This line ran from a position just north of Surbiton Villas (at J.13.b.4.5.) through Clapham Junction (at J.13.d.9.9.). This attack involved crossing the Ypres-Menin road and attacking the German machine gun positions at Stirling Castle (J.13.d.5.3.). The attack was successful and the Blue Line was consolidated. The 17th Manchester Battalion, together with the 2nd Battalion Royal Scottish Fusiliers, was to pass through the Blue Line and attack the second objective called the ‘Black Line’, which ran through Glencorse wood.
Due to the bad ground conditions and the German machine gun fire, it proved difficult to make any real progress towards the second objective. The men were forced to dig in just in front of the German positions known as Jargon Trench, which protected the perimeter of Glencorse Wood. The final positions ran from this position to the north of Inverness Copse. On the morning of the 1st August the 17th Battalion was relieved.
The 17th Battalion Manchester Regiment suffered many casualties. In addition to the officer casualties, 19 other ranks were killed, 112 wounded and 35 missing. Lance Corporal James Gatley was one of the men killed or missing. He was most likely killed in the attack on the Black Line, somewhere between Clapham Junction and the final positions at Jargon Trench. Lance Corporal Gatley has no known grave and is remembered at the Menin Gate Memorial.
The 90th brigade had two objectives. The first objective, called the ‘Blue Line’ was attacked at 3:50 a.m. by the 16th and 18th Manchester Battalions. This line ran from a position just north of Surbiton Villas (at J.13.b.4.5.) through Clapham Junction (at J.13.d.9.9.). This attack involved crossing the Ypres-Menin road and attacking the German machine gun positions at Stirling Castle (J.13.d.5.3.). The attack was successful and the Blue Line was consolidated. The 17th Manchester Battalion, together with the 2nd Battalion Royal Scottish Fusiliers, was to pass through the Blue Line and attack the second objective called the ‘Black Line’, which ran through Glencorse wood.
Due to the bad ground conditions and the German machine gun fire, it proved difficult to make any real progress towards the second objective. The men were forced to dig in just in front of the German positions known as Jargon Trench, which protected the perimeter of Glencorse Wood. The final positions ran from this position to the north of Inverness Copse. On the morning of the 1st August the 17th Battalion was relieved.
The 17th Battalion Manchester Regiment suffered many casualties. In addition to the officer casualties, 19 other ranks were killed, 112 wounded and 35 missing. Lance Corporal James Gatley was one of the men killed or missing. He was most likely killed in the attack on the Black Line, somewhere between Clapham Junction and the final positions at Jargon Trench. Lance Corporal Gatley has no known grave and is remembered at the Menin Gate Memorial.
Sources 7
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Sources used |
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Chris McCarthy, 'Passchendaele : The Day-by-Day' London: Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, p. 24-25. Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/930571/gatley,-james/ Sources used |
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Michael Stedman, Manchester Pals A History of the two Manchester Brigades : 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21 th, 22nd|23rd Battalions of the Manchester Regiment, Barnsley: Leo Cooper, 2004, p. 173-176. Sources used |
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n.n., Sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth battalions, the Manchester regiment (first city brigade) : A record 1914-1918, East-Sussex: Naval & Military Press, s.d., 130-131. Sources used |
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Naval & Military Archive http://www.nmarchive.com/ Sources used |
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The Long, Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ Sources used |