Now I always count it a privilege to post a story by someone else.
This is from Tony Goulding
Completely by chance I came upon this plaque in St. Ninian's church ,Wilbraham Road.
It's solitary location aroused my curiosity which has led me on a voyage of discovery concerning this soldier.
My first port of call was the c.w.g.c website which besides informing me where he is buried (viz. the aeroplane cemetery) provided the name and address of his parents.
They were William Broadfoot and Isabella of Glenlee, 28 Cavendish Road, now Corkland Road.
From census records I gleaned that both parents were born in Scotland -William in Wigtownshire.
They married in 1885 in Cheetham,where they resided at 46,Thirlmere St. and later moved to a house on Brundretts Road,Chorlton,where young William was born.
Further research in local newspapers revealed that William Snr. and his brother John arrived in Manchester as travelling drapers having somewhat divergent fortunes.
William becoming a successful cotton dyer and bleecher ; whilst his brother left the country to work on a cattle ranch in Montanna only to face the bankruptcy court on his return.
Turning to the soldier memorialised on the plaque I was extremely fortunate to discover not only this photograph, but also a rather harrowing account of his death obtained from the Ancestry website.
This relates how William's unit was devastated by a shell landing in their trench describes the scene quite graphically detailing the fatal wounds inflicted on our man and his comrades.
It also indicates that for some unknown reason William was known as "Nick"
Following up the biographical information which accompanied the photo I contacted the M.G.S.archives and arranged a visit seeing William's name on the school's roll of honour and obtaining further information on his life before and after his time their.
He entered M.G.S. from South Manchester School (a preparatory feeder school which I could find no record of) in 1910 ; while there he was a "classics"scholar and on leaving went to work for The Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank,possibly at their branch near the present-day Post Office.
In the 1920's a memorial was erected in this bank's H.Q. on Spring Gardens in a building now occupied by Rio Ferdinand's "Rosso" restaurant. I haven't as yet been able to ascertain (a) whether it is still in situ & (b) if it sheds any further light on William's story.
On Remembrance Sunday 2014 a service was conducted in St.Ninians in which William's story was integral after which a framed copy of his photograph was placed next to his plaque.
Pictures; remembrance plaque, William Carter, St Ninina's Church, from the collection of Tony Goulding and photograph and record of Private Carter from De Ruvignay's Roll of Honour Vol 4
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| The plaque to William Carter |
Completely by chance I came upon this plaque in St. Ninian's church ,Wilbraham Road.
It's solitary location aroused my curiosity which has led me on a voyage of discovery concerning this soldier.
My first port of call was the c.w.g.c website which besides informing me where he is buried (viz. the aeroplane cemetery) provided the name and address of his parents.
They were William Broadfoot and Isabella of Glenlee, 28 Cavendish Road, now Corkland Road.
From census records I gleaned that both parents were born in Scotland -William in Wigtownshire.
They married in 1885 in Cheetham,where they resided at 46,Thirlmere St. and later moved to a house on Brundretts Road,Chorlton,where young William was born.
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| William in uniform |
William becoming a successful cotton dyer and bleecher ; whilst his brother left the country to work on a cattle ranch in Montanna only to face the bankruptcy court on his return.
Turning to the soldier memorialised on the plaque I was extremely fortunate to discover not only this photograph, but also a rather harrowing account of his death obtained from the Ancestry website.
This relates how William's unit was devastated by a shell landing in their trench describes the scene quite graphically detailing the fatal wounds inflicted on our man and his comrades.
It also indicates that for some unknown reason William was known as "Nick"
Following up the biographical information which accompanied the photo I contacted the M.G.S.archives and arranged a visit seeing William's name on the school's roll of honour and obtaining further information on his life before and after his time their.
 |
| The record of William's service |
In the 1920's a memorial was erected in this bank's H.Q. on Spring Gardens in a building now occupied by Rio Ferdinand's "Rosso" restaurant. I haven't as yet been able to ascertain (a) whether it is still in situ & (b) if it sheds any further light on William's story.
On Remembrance Sunday 2014 a service was conducted in St.Ninians in which William's story was integral after which a framed copy of his photograph was placed next to his plaque.
Pictures; remembrance plaque, William Carter, St Ninina's Church, from the collection of Tony Goulding and photograph and record of Private Carter from De Ruvignay's Roll of Honour Vol 4
I have now been advised that William worked at the bank's head office
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