Officers, N.C.O.s and Men of the 1st Battalion, Buried in Le Touquet-Paris Plage Cemetery
This cemetery contains 143 Commonwealth burials – all named (142 from the UK and 1 from Canada). In addition the Communal Cemetery contains a number of French and Italian military graves.
The Duchess of Westminster’s Hospital (No.1 B.R.C.S.) was at Le Touquet from October 1914 to July 1918 and the British graves in the Communal Cemetery are from casualties from that hospital.
The Cemetery contains just 1 soldier of the original 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, who died of wounds received in action, possibly following the First Battle of Ypres.
…. use this link to get a full list of all Soldiers buried in this Cemetery
Private 9506 Edward James GREEN – Company n/k
Grave: I.A.14. Died of wounds: 24 December 1914 Age: 19
Personal: Edward was born in St Peter’s Parish, Birkenhead, Cheshire, on 4th December 1895, the son of Peter (Dock Labourer) and Elizabeth (née Allen ?) Green. He had an older brother, Peter William Green, (see Footnote below), and two younger sisters, Mary Emily and Rose Elizabeth.
Edwards attended St. Peter’s Schools, Birkenhead and before his enlistment was employed as a “Docker“. [Source: ‘De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, 1914-1919′]
The 1901 Census (RG 13/3399) shows Edward and his brother Peter resident (‘Inmate‘) of the Union Workhouse, Tranmere, Liverpool (left).
By 1911 (Census RG 14/21979) Edward was back living with his mother, older brother, Peter William, and younger sisters, Emily and Rose Elizabeth, at 19 Hope Street, Birkenhead.
The “Register of Soldiers’ Effects” names Edward’s sister, Mary Emily (Hammond Green) in his Will as Sole Legatee. In September 1915 she received his total effects of £5 6s 10d [£5.34 – equivalent to about £700 today – 2023]. In August 1919 she received a further £5 [£330 today] as a War Gratuity.
Edward’s Pension Record Card, however, names his mother “Elizabeth Green“, living at 21 Payson, Street, Birkenhead, as the claimant. From April 1917 she was awarded a weekly pension of 4 shillings (20p – about £18 today).
Military Service: Edward enlisted in the Cheshire Regiment at Birkenhead, Cheshire. Currently his Army records are unavailable, probably destroyed in Second World War bombing.
However, the records of Pt. 9505 Pt. John Cross have survived and as he enlisted immediately before Edward, it would seem that Edward enlisted on or about 12th July 1910.
If his terms of enlistment had been 3 + 9 (i.e. 3 years active service, followed by 9 years reserve), Edward would have been transferred to the Reserve List in July 1913 and recalled at the outbreak of the War.
However, his Medal Index Card shows he entered France on 11th September 1914, not the 16th August when the rest of the Battalion arrived.
The War Diary states that on the 24th September
“The following Officers arrived today:
Captain L A Forster, Res of Off.; Captain S Butterworth, 3rd Ches; 2 Lt H S Stalker, Res of Off.; 2 Lt L B J Pogson, 1/Ches Regt and 21 men”
so it could be that Edward was one of these from the Reserve.
Edward died on 24th December 1914, in The Duchess of Westminster’s Hospital (No.1 B.R.C.S) in Le Touquet (picture right).
It is, of course, impossible to say where and when he was wounded, but was most likely in the actions either at Violaines or Ypres.
Edward’s older brother, Pte. 9282 Peter William GREEN, 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.
Like his brother Peter was called up from the Reserve at the start of the War and arrived in France on 18th December 1914.
Peter had married Hannah Brie at St Alban’s Church, Liverpool, on 12th July 1914 and they lived at 51 Payson Street, Birkenhead. Their daughter, Hannah, was born on 30th August 1915 – 4 months after Peter was killed in action at Ziebeck on 12th April 1915 and buried in Tuileries British Cemetery, Sp. Mem. E. 5. [Source: ‘De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, 1914-1919′]
The Tuileries British Cemetery page to read more about Pt. 9282 Peter William Green.
