The Great War has now gone into a fourth year.
When war was declared in 1914 thousands upon thousands of young men flocked to the colours so as not to miss any of the action. Why? Because they believed that it would be all over by Christmas and so wanted to be part of this Great Venture. Little did they realise what lay in store for them on the Western Front.
As the war dragged into 1918 with no end in sight the death toll amongst MCT employees would continue to rise.
Amongst the many that would die on the western Front, January 1918 would see just one Tramways employee being killed.
William Maguire was a labourer with the Manchester Tramways Department.
He enlisted as Private 6852 with the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.
However in the course of the war he was later transferred to 863 Area Employment Company Labour Corps as Private 404883.
He was the son of Patrick and Teresa Maguire and the husband of Mary Jane Maguire of 20 Beswick Street Manchester. On the 8th January 1918, exactly one hundred years ago he was killed. He was 35 years of age.
He is buried at Les Baraques Military Cemetery, Sangatte Pas de Calais in grave ref: II.C.6 near the Great Cross.
At the base of the headstone is the following inscription from his family: “ETERNAL REST GIVE TO HIM O LORD MAY HE REST IN PEACE AMEN”
The cemetery is located on the western side of Calais just off the D940, the road to Sangatte.
In April 1915, No.6 Base Supply Depot was started at Calais to help relieve the pressure on Boulogne and to provide a base nearer to the front than Havre or Rouen.
The base remained open until the last Commonwealth forces left France in March 1921. The 30th, 35th and 38th General Hospitals, No.9 British Red Cross Hospital and No.10 Canadian Stationary Hospital were also stationed in the town providing about 2,500 beds.
For three years, Commonwealth burials were made in Calais Southern Cemetery, but it later became necessary to start a new site and in September 1917, the first burials took place at Les Baraques.
The cemetery continued in use until 1921.
The cemetery now contains 1,303 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, together with more than 250 war graves of other nationalities, all but 2 of them German.
The cemetery also contains seven Second World War burials.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
Compared to the larger WW1 Cemeteries or Memorials like Tyne Cot, Thiepval and the Menin Gate, Les Baraques is small and probably rarely visited by British people as they arrive in Calais.
However this cemetery is just as important to me as they are, as it holds the grave of a Manchester Tramways employee. Please Remember Him.
If you have info on William Maguire or anyone else on the MCT Memorial Plaque please contact me at martin.logan@btinternet.com or by mobile 07985490124
LEST WE FORGET
Martin Logan © 2018
Pictures; the name off the plaque is from Martin Logan, the scroll is from CWGC web site, the photo, plan, and info are from CWGC site and other WW1 sites
Amongst the many that would die on the western Front, January 1918 would see just one Tramways employee being killed.
William Maguire was a labourer with the Manchester Tramways Department.
He enlisted as Private 6852 with the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.
However in the course of the war he was later transferred to 863 Area Employment Company Labour Corps as Private 404883.
He was the son of Patrick and Teresa Maguire and the husband of Mary Jane Maguire of 20 Beswick Street Manchester. On the 8th January 1918, exactly one hundred years ago he was killed. He was 35 years of age.
At the base of the headstone is the following inscription from his family: “ETERNAL REST GIVE TO HIM O LORD MAY HE REST IN PEACE AMEN”
The cemetery is located on the western side of Calais just off the D940, the road to Sangatte.
In April 1915, No.6 Base Supply Depot was started at Calais to help relieve the pressure on Boulogne and to provide a base nearer to the front than Havre or Rouen.
For three years, Commonwealth burials were made in Calais Southern Cemetery, but it later became necessary to start a new site and in September 1917, the first burials took place at Les Baraques.
The cemetery continued in use until 1921.
The cemetery now contains 1,303 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, together with more than 250 war graves of other nationalities, all but 2 of them German.
The cemetery also contains seven Second World War burials.
The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
Compared to the larger WW1 Cemeteries or Memorials like Tyne Cot, Thiepval and the Menin Gate, Les Baraques is small and probably rarely visited by British people as they arrive in Calais.
If you have info on William Maguire or anyone else on the MCT Memorial Plaque please contact me at martin.logan@btinternet.com or by mobile 07985490124
LEST WE FORGET
Martin Logan © 2018
Pictures; the name off the plaque is from Martin Logan, the scroll is from CWGC web site, the photo, plan, and info are from CWGC site and other WW1 sites
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