L/Cpl
Harry Wychereley
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1892 |
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Place of birth: Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Cotton Mill Worker |
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: 7071 |
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Enlistment place: Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Manchester Regiment, 16th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Transport Farm, Zillebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 25 |
Cemetery
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Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm) Plot: V Row: C Grave: 2 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Harry Wychereley – a Cotton Mill Worker from Manchester, Lancashire - was killed in action on 31 July 1917, the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele. At the time Harry served as a Lance Corporal in the 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment, part of the 90th Brigade, of the 30th Division.
On 31 July 1917 the 30th Division was in the line in Sanctuary Wood. That same day it advanced with three Brigades towards the Menin Road. The 90th Brigade was on the left of the divisional front with the 16th and 18th Manchester Battalions leading the attack. The 16th was on the left and the 18th on the right. The 17th Manchesters were in support and would pass through the 16th, once they had consolidated a line between Clapham Junction and a position just north of Surbiton Villas.
The 16th assembled in trenches in Sanctuary Wood only 40 or 50 yards away from the Jackdaw trench, which was held by the Germans. At zero hour, 3.50 a.m. the men advanced, behind a very heavy and thick artillery barrage. The German artillery remained silent and no counter barrage was opened.
The first dozen casualties of the 16th Manchesters were killed or wounded by the British artillery, as the men advanced too close to the barrage. The German Trenches at Jackdaw Support were quickly overrun. When the 16th pushed further forward to their objective between the Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction, confusion rose amongst the ranks and the attack lost its direction. Though “A” company succeeded in taking, Jackdaw Support Trench, a number of men of “B” company winded up at the ruins of Stirling Castle, the objective of the 18th Manchester Battalion. “C” company arrived at Clapham Junction and took about forty German prisoners together with serious amount of machineguns and trench mortars.
The Battle became increasingly chaotic. About 90 minutes after the attack had started, men of eight different Battalions were all crossing the Menin road near Clapham Junction. When crossing the road they were exposed to machine-guns near Glencorse Wood, which inflicted heavy casualties. After crossing the Menin Road the 16th Battalion cleared the area of Surbiton Villas and mopped up any remaining resistance. At this point the 17th Manchesters joined the attack and tried to move through the 16th. But heavy machine-gun fire prevented them to advance towards Glencorse Wood. Unable to move forward the Manchesters dug in, in front of the German positions at Jargon Trench, which were covered by the machine-guns at Glencorse Wood.
At 5.00 a.m. the German artillery started shelling the whole Sanctuary Wood area, while German aircraft fired at artillery positions and concentrations of Infantry in the field. Persistent German machinegun- and sniper fire were causing further casualties. By mid-day it started pouring and the shell holes filled up with mud and water. The downpour lasted for nearly a week and made it very difficult to move troops, tanks and heavy artillery to their designated positions. The deep pools which were formed in the shell holes and battered trenches became a serious threat to those badly wounded. Those who couldn’t move to a higher, dryer position fell victim to the mud and water.
The 16th, 17th and 18th Manchesters were relieved on the 1st of August after 36 hours in the field. The 16th Manchester suffered 260 casualties. 260 men were either killed, missing or wounded. One of them was Lance Corporal Harry Wychereley.
Harry was wounded during the attack and was evacuated to the Advanced Dressing Station at Transport Farm along the shores of Zillebeke Lake, where he succumbed to his injuries. The 25-year-old was buried in the adjacent Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm).
On 31 July 1917 the 30th Division was in the line in Sanctuary Wood. That same day it advanced with three Brigades towards the Menin Road. The 90th Brigade was on the left of the divisional front with the 16th and 18th Manchester Battalions leading the attack. The 16th was on the left and the 18th on the right. The 17th Manchesters were in support and would pass through the 16th, once they had consolidated a line between Clapham Junction and a position just north of Surbiton Villas.
The 16th assembled in trenches in Sanctuary Wood only 40 or 50 yards away from the Jackdaw trench, which was held by the Germans. At zero hour, 3.50 a.m. the men advanced, behind a very heavy and thick artillery barrage. The German artillery remained silent and no counter barrage was opened.
The first dozen casualties of the 16th Manchesters were killed or wounded by the British artillery, as the men advanced too close to the barrage. The German Trenches at Jackdaw Support were quickly overrun. When the 16th pushed further forward to their objective between the Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction, confusion rose amongst the ranks and the attack lost its direction. Though “A” company succeeded in taking, Jackdaw Support Trench, a number of men of “B” company winded up at the ruins of Stirling Castle, the objective of the 18th Manchester Battalion. “C” company arrived at Clapham Junction and took about forty German prisoners together with serious amount of machineguns and trench mortars.
The Battle became increasingly chaotic. About 90 minutes after the attack had started, men of eight different Battalions were all crossing the Menin road near Clapham Junction. When crossing the road they were exposed to machine-guns near Glencorse Wood, which inflicted heavy casualties. After crossing the Menin Road the 16th Battalion cleared the area of Surbiton Villas and mopped up any remaining resistance. At this point the 17th Manchesters joined the attack and tried to move through the 16th. But heavy machine-gun fire prevented them to advance towards Glencorse Wood. Unable to move forward the Manchesters dug in, in front of the German positions at Jargon Trench, which were covered by the machine-guns at Glencorse Wood.
At 5.00 a.m. the German artillery started shelling the whole Sanctuary Wood area, while German aircraft fired at artillery positions and concentrations of Infantry in the field. Persistent German machinegun- and sniper fire were causing further casualties. By mid-day it started pouring and the shell holes filled up with mud and water. The downpour lasted for nearly a week and made it very difficult to move troops, tanks and heavy artillery to their designated positions. The deep pools which were formed in the shell holes and battered trenches became a serious threat to those badly wounded. Those who couldn’t move to a higher, dryer position fell victim to the mud and water.
The 16th, 17th and 18th Manchesters were relieved on the 1st of August after 36 hours in the field. The 16th Manchester suffered 260 casualties. 260 men were either killed, missing or wounded. One of them was Lance Corporal Harry Wychereley.
Harry was wounded during the attack and was evacuated to the Advanced Dressing Station at Transport Farm along the shores of Zillebeke Lake, where he succumbed to his injuries. The 25-year-old was buried in the adjacent Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm).
Sources 6
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/491021/wycherley,-/ Sources used |
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Elstob, W., "Sixteenth: Seventeenth: Eighteenth: Nineteenth Battalions: The Manchester Regiment (first city brigade), A Record 1914-1918", Eastbourne, Anthony Rowe Ltd., 1923, pg. 40-42. Sources used |
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Long Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/30th-division/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, C., "Passchendaele the Day by Day Account", Londen, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, pg. 24-26. Sources used |
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War Diary http://www.nmarchive.com/ Sources used |