William Eccles …… solder of the Great War comes out of the shadows

This is the story of William Eccles, who was born in 1892 in Gorton, served in the 19th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment and died in Victoria Hospital in Stretford in 1918.

The St John's medal, date uknown

Like so many men who served during the Great War, much of his life is lost to us.

But piecing together the little we know and bringing him out of the shadows has been a collaborative venture and is as much part of the story as this 27 years old man.

He appears on the 1901 and 1911 census and lived on Woodland Road in Gorton.  The house was a modest one consisting of five rooms and was home to his parents, two siblings and an uncle. 

The house is still there today, and his grave has also survived and can be viewed in the Stockport Willow Grove Cemetery.

Other than that, there is little so far to mark his life.  I know from the 1911 census that he was a milkman and possibly worked for his father who was also a self-employed milkman.  

Whether he enlisted or volunteered is unclear, but he does not hold the 1914 or 1914-15 Star so I guess he joined up in 1916 or afterwards.

Hospital (School Hall)

But he was not married as his army record shows his pension went to his mother on his death.

And here we almost came to the end of the inquiry, because the same pension document referred to his death in Victoria Hospital, Stretford, which proved an elusive place to track down, more so because the Red Cross lists it as the Victoria Hospital Council Street.

At this point I am indebted Bill Sumner to my Facebook pal, who replied to my request for help with “It was in the Victoria Park School Henshaw St but older references were Council St probably because the houses were not completely built at that time. 

There are many references to the staff on the Red Cross Site. I have an internal photo here of the Hospital (School Hall). The school exterior view Henshaw St Pritchard St Corner”.

Victoria Park Hospital

So now we have a location and images of where William Eccles died, and in time perhaps more will come to light about the hospital.

I could of course call up his death certificate and discover whether he died of wounds, or perhaps the flu. 

Instead, I will close where I should have begun with a mention of David Harrop who acquired this young man’s medals and started the inquiry.

Amongst the collection are the two medals awarded to all who fought in the Great War, the bronze medallion issued to the families of those who were killed, and The St John's medal which has his name inscribed on the back with his service number.

Bronze Medallion, 1919

Nor is that quite the end because in the course of the research I came across a relative who may be able to furnish more.

So, as I said a story which depends on the collaboration of a group of people as history inquiries should be.

Location, Gorton,  and Stretford

Pictures; The St John's medal, date uknown, from the collection of David Harrop, and two pictures of Victoria Hospital, Stretford, date unknown, courtesy of Bill Sumner

*British Red Cross https://vad.redcross.org.uk/en/~/media/BritishRedCross/Documents/Who%20we%20are/History%20and%20archives/List%20of%20auxiliary%20hospitals%20in%20the%20UK%20during%20the%20First%20World%20War.pdf