My Father and I have recently returned home after exploring the Ypres (Ieper) Salient area where we came across the grave of our close relative Serjeant Richard Hamblett, 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment. Serjeant Hamblett is buried at the Chester Farm Cemetery alongside Serjeant Tunnicliffe, Pvt. Michael Ryan and (I think) Pvt. William Burton all of whom were killed on April 23 1915. Does anyone have any record/information as to how these men lost their lives? We note that chlorine gas was first used in this area on the previous day.
Dear Youngun, My great grandmother was Mary Jane Hamblett, the elder sister of both Richard and James. Her eldest son, also a Richard Hamblett, joined the South Lancs Regt. in Warrington in 1914 and managed to survive the war though he was wounded. I have more information about him if you are interested. Did James also serve or any others in the family? Kind Regards Homefront
Dear Homefront I have not been able to find any record of service for other members of the family. It is possible that James (my great grandfather) may have been exempted owing to his occupation as a steam crane driver. The 1911 census shows a Richard (born 1893) to be living with James and his family (which included two sons, one also named Richard) in Warrington. Could this Richard have been Mary Jane’s son? I would be most interested to learn more about him. Kind regards Youngun
Dear Youngun, My grandfather, Richard Hamblett was born in 1893 though the 1911 census also shows him living at 6 Dutton Street, Warrington with his mother, who had remarried and was now Mary Jane Burke, along with his stepfather, stepbrothers and stepsisters. Richard joined the 4th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment in September 1914 and went to France in 1915. He was wounded in the arm which must have been quite serious because after hospital he was posted to Home Defence in Norfolk. Here he met my grandmother and married in 1917 just before being sent back to France. He finally was discharged from the army of occupation in Germany and came back to see his daughter, my mother, for the first time. In the army he rose to corporal and apparently was trained as a signaller. I have lots of other information about him and some of his relatives but not linked to the Great War so perhaps you could e-mail me on Kind regards Homefront
Sorry Homefront, had to take off your email address as this maybe taken by spammers and you'll have a whole heap of trouble my friend. If you want to give your email address to someone on the forum please send them a PM. Sniper
