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Winners of the regimental cross country competition


C Company 2nd Durham Light Infantry men at Colchester, 1911


These picture was probably taken in Hyderabad Barracks, Colchester, where the 2nd Battalion moved during this year, as all of these men appear together in this place in 1911 census. Moreover, while stationed in Colchester the battalion seemed to be very successful at sports, as it can be seen in this picture.

Men in the picture are, from left to right:
Standing:
10942 Lance Corporal Frank Atkinson, from Egglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.

10955 Private Walter Goodman from Lincolnshire, but who stayed in County Durham after the war.

10624 Private Wilfred Morris, born around 1890 in Warwick, Birmingham. He served with the 2nd DLI and then was transferred to the Machine Guns Corps as number 114280. He entered France on the 21st of May 1915 and was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1915 Star.

10943 Lance Corporal Edgar William Radford, born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1893. He enlisted in June 1910 and was promoted to Lance Corporal. When he entered in France on 8th September 1914 he was already a Corporal. He was taken prisoner of war and awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914 Star. He got married to Ethel Florence Silk after the war and died in Cambridge on 1st December 1958.

10548 Private Francis Franks, born in 1890 in Ifield, Crawley (Sussex), son of William and Elizabeth. He was a gardener when he enlisted DLI on 14th October 1908 at Newcastle. First attached to 3rd DLI, he was then posted to 2nd DLI on 4th November. He was sent to Cork with the battalion and then to Colchester, where he got a third class education certificate in 1912. That year he was promoted to Lance Corporal. He entered in France on 8th September 1914. Two weeks later, on 21st September, he was reported missing. Because of the wounds suffered that day, he died on 8th October. Francis is buried in the City of Paris Cemetery, Bagneux. He was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914 Star.

10628 Private William Henry Wootton, born in Bethnal Green, London, around 1890, son of William and Mary. He enlisted 2nd DLI on 4th December 1908. During the war, he entered France on 8th September 1914 with this battalion. He was promoted to Lance Corporal and awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, as it is recorded in the London Gazette of the 16th of January 1915:

“For gallantry on 28th October in dressing an Officers wounds and helping to bring him into safety under fire”.

He was then promoted to Lance Sergeant. His service finished when he was officially discharged on the 9th of January 1919.

Kneeling:
10463 Private James Hartley Ashmore, born in 1889 in Cumberland, son of James and Eliza, enlisted 2nd DLI on 27th August 1908. In 1914, he was a reservist called up and posted to 10th DLI as a Sergeant. He entered France with this battalion on 21st Mary 1915.

When 10th DLI was disbanded, Ashmore was posted to 14th DLI until he was discharged on the 12th of March 1919 under King’s Regulations, Paragraph 392, XVIa (i.e. “Surplus to military requirements (having suffered impairment since entry into the service). He was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914 Star.

Private Charlton, unidentified. He could be any one of the four men with this surname.

Seated:
10475 Lance Corporal James Charles Clegg, born in 1891 at Chatham (Kent), son of William and Elizabeth. He enlisted on 31st August 1908 and reached the rank of Lance Corporal. He entered France as a Sergeant of the 2nd DLI on 8th September 1914. He was discharged from Depot DLI on 6th July 1915 on account of losing his left arm. He was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914 Star. After the war, in 1919, he married Elsie Lucy Lawler.

10259 Private Albert Victor Seery, from Gateshead, County Durham.

10539 Lance Corporal Sidney E. Jiggins, 1891, was born in Middlesex (London), son of James and Charlotte. He enlisted in 1908 and entered in France with 2nd DLI as a Lance Corporal on 8th September 1914. He was then promoted to Lance Sergeant. By the end of the war he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, as recorded in the London Gazette on 17th January 1919. He was also awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914 Star. In 1915 he got married to Dorothy Elizabeth and in 1921 travelled to New York, living in Washington (USA) until 1938, when he is back in London. He died in this city in 1945.

Date: 1911

Contributed by John Sheen | Durham at War Volunteer

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