The War Dead of WW1 and WW2
Search for all individuals who died serving their country, and who are known to have some connection with Bollington and Kerridge.
A casualty of World War 1.
Private HERBERT TRUEMAN 1/7th Battalion Cheshire Regiment 243645.
He was born 1898 at Bollington, the son of James Solomon Trueman and Martha (formerly Bollington).
He lived at Adshead Barn in 1901 and was a croft lad at the calico print works and at school part time living at 49 Grimshaw Lane in 1911.
He enlisted at Macclesfield and was killed in action 3 September 1918 aged about 20. He has a memorial at Pond Farm Cemetery, near Ypres, although his exact burial location may not be known.
He is named on the memorials at Bollington and Kerridge and St Oswald’s and on the Trueman family grave at St John’s [plot 1110]*. He is listed on the 1917 Roll of Honour.
He was named as one of those "who have paid the Supreme Sacrifice during the War" at a Solemn Requiem Service held at St John's at 10.30 am on 3 November 1918.
*The inscription reads:
In loving memory of JAMES TRUEMAN who died April 11th 1914 aged 46 years
Pte HERBERT TRUEMAN killed in action in France September 3rd 1915 aged 20 years RIP
ELSIE DOREEN infant daughter of WRIGHT & ELSIE TRUEMAN aged 14 days
Also SARAH ELSIE beloved wife of WRIGHT TRUEMAN died November 11th 1963 aged 68 years
also WRIGHT TRUEMAN who died April 25th 1967 aged 75 years.
Most surviving records, including Commonwealth War Graves Commission database, show that Herbert served in 1/7th Battalion, but (confusingly) his name appears on the medal roll for 5th Battalion. 7th Bn served at Gallipoli before being evacuated to Egypt. It travelled to France in June 1918 and formed part of 102 Brigade in 34 Division from 1 July 1918. It is not known whether Herbert joined the Battalion in Egypt or France, but he would not have been 18 years old until 1916.
The battalion was part of XIX Corps in 2nd Army in the Advance in Flanders 18 August – 6 September 1918; operations in the Lys valley, recapturing the ground lost in April 1918.
Pond Farm Cemetery is located south-west of Ypres near the village of Wulvergem. The village was captured by the Germans on 14 April 1918 and reoccupied by the 30th Division on the following 2 September. 'POND FARM' was in the fields about 850 yards East of Packhorse Farm, and on the North-West side of Pond Farm is the Cemetery. The cemetery was begun in July 1916 and it was used by fighting units and field ambulances until October 1917. Further burials were made in April and September 1918. There are now 296 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery, including special memorials to three casualties of the 1/7th Cheshires, buried here early in September 1918, whose graves could not be found.
Notes:
If you wish to visit a war grave or memorial please consult the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. This will provide detailed directions to the location, information about opening hours, and advise of any accessibility issues.
The not-for-profit War Graves Photographic Project may be able to provide you with a high resolution photograph of the grave/memorial for a modest fee.
As a general rule in these short histories, details of campaign medals awarded are NOT included unless there is something of particular interest. See the section on Medals for an explanation of how soldiers qualified for the various campaign medals.
Unless otherwise stated, addresses are in Bollington, near Macclesfield. St John's was the local Anglican church, and St Gregory's was the local Roman Catholic church. (Neither church is still in use, replaced by St Oswald's and the new St Gregory's respectively. However, each of the former churches has its own burial ground.) The Wesleyan Methodist chapel is on Wellington Road opposite St Gregory's, but is no longer in use as a chapel. The Primitive Methodist church (now demolished) was on High Street and the Methodist New Connexion chapel (now demolished) was on Grimshaw Lane. The Congregationalist chapel was at the bottom end of Palmerston Street; part of the building still stands and is now used as offices.
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