Private. 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Regimental number 5120.

Early life:

John’s parents were Matthew Conway and Ann Conway née Blessington who were married in Keighley in the second quarter of 1876.

John was born in late 1878 or early 1879 and his birth was registered in Keighley in the first quarter of 1879.
In the 1881 census he was aged just one and was living at 41, Burlington Street in Keighley with his parents Matthew aged 23, a machine moulder, Ann aged 22, brother James aged three and their Grandmother Bridget Conway aged 42, a twister; Aunt Mary Blessington aged 17, a textile mill hand.

In March 1890 Matthew was summoned by the Student Attendance Committee for non-attendance of his children at school. He appeared before them and promised better attendance in future. Others were summoned before magistrates for this, but Matthew does not appear to be one of them.

By the time of the 1891 census they had moved across the county border into Lancashire and were living at 15, King Street in Colne. John was now aged ten and a scholar. Matthew was now 33 and a foundry labourer; Ann was 32 and looking after the home; olde brother James was 13 and a cloth operative, younger brother Thomas was eight and a scholar, sisters Catherine aged seven and Mary Ellen aged three were both scholars and the youngest was Elizabeth Ann aged just one.
Also living at this property were James Blessington, (Matthew’s father-in-law) he was a widower aged 63 and a mason’s labourer; Thomas O’Hara aged 25 and a foundry labourer; William Parkinson, aged 27 and a skinner (or skimmer); Richard Robinson aged 40 and a Foundry labourer.
It would have been extremely crowded in the house which was a small terrace house and appears to have just had two bedrooms at most, unless they had attics which were habitable. Quite how they fitted a family of eight and four lodgers in, is a mystery and hopefully this wasn’t for long.

John’s father Matthew died on 14th November at the age of 37 (still living at 15, King Street) and his mother Annie died aged 35 in the same period. Their deaths were both registered at Colne in the last quarter of 1895.
As of now, their children were all now orphaned and their ages were: James aged 17 and John aged 14, Thomas aged 12; Catherine aged 11; Mary Ellen aged seven and the youngest was Elizabeth aged five.

In the 1901 census things had changed considerably as John was boarding with 45 year old widow Mary Hey and her five children at 18, William Street in Colne.
John was single, aged 20 and a weft fork finisher (probably with Crabtree Brothers of Colne.)
A weft fork is a mechanical device designed to stop the loom from running if a piece of the weft gets broken and also stops the loom when it comes to the end of weaving.

Two years later John married Mary Higgins of Nelson. Their marriage was registered in Burnley in the last quarter of 1902.

By 1911, John and Mary were living at 27, Maple Street in Colne, south of the ‘Colne Water’ river and just off the Lenches Road. John was aged 30 and still employed as a weft fork finisher and their home was just over 200 yards from Calder Mill where he was employed by Crabtree Brothers. They were ‘General Mill Furnishers’ who made all sorts of mechanical devices for the textile industry such as Spindle, Spring and Shuttle Pegs; Patented Weft Forks, Perforated sheets, steel strip etc.
Mary was aged 26 and employed as a cotton weaver. She and John had been married for eight years and had four children who were: Herbert aged seven, Leo aged six, Ann aged four, Dennis aged just one. Also living with them as a boarder was Mary’s father James Higgins aged 52 and a worsted spinner.

The Lancashire Electoral Rolls for 1913, 1914 and 1915 show the family living at 27, Maple Street, then moving from 22,(probably 27) Maple Street in Colne, to 15, Mill Street in Trawden.

Maple Street no longer exists, having been demolished in the 1970s, along with Spruce Street and Beech Street and the two streets which crossed them, called Cedar Street and Deal Street.

War service:

There are no Army service records for John but from his Medal records we know he was a relatively early volunteer.

He enlisted in Colne, Lancashire and was with the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, going out to the Balkan theatre and disembarking on 3rd July 1915. The 1st Battalion had been in theatre since April but John was in a much later group of reinforcements. The 1st Battalion was on the Gallipoli Peninsula at that time, and arrived back on Lemnos on 12th July.

John may have been one of two drafts which joined the battalion at Lemnos. The first was at 12.30 pm on 17th July, when the war diary mentions a draft of 1 officer (Captain Breily) and 99 men reporting to companies and the second draft was on the 20th July, when of Captains’ Murray and Hutchings and Lieutenant Watt arrived with 200 other ranks.

WO-95/4310. War diary

Entries for July, August and early September 1915:

Gully Beach
1st July 1915. 8 am. Started making a wall along sea shore.
2nd July 1915. 8 am. finished wall. 6 – 8 pm. 2 officers and 100 men in fatigue party at Lower Barrier-
3rd. July. Divine service at 3pm. 10.15. Left GULLY BEACH for new Trenches.
4th July. 2.am. Took over trenches from WORCESTER REFT. A & C companies in firing line. Munster Fusiliers on our left. 6th Manchester Regiment on our right.
5th July. 4am French and left of Brigade attacked by Turks & repulsed. Quiet day for us.
6th July. Calm on the whole front. Trenches improved & made clean.
7th July. Quiet day, 1 Company, 6th South Lancs. Regt attached to Battalion. 2 platoons in firing line 1, 2 some little distance back. Continued with rest trenches (Private Greenhalgh killed by stray bullet.)
8th/9th July. 6th South Lancs march off 4.30pm. B Company. K.O.R. Lancs Regt. 2 platoons in firing line, take place of 6th South Lancs Regt. Very quiet. Several working parties to improve communication trenches & mule track.

10th July. Practically no firing except for a few Turkish shells behind our lines.
11th July. 2 am. Rapid burst of fire from Turks to ourselves. Enemy getting jumpy. 1.30 K.O. Regt. leave. South Lancashire Regt. take over our trenches with half a battalion. 4 pm. Battalion march to Gully Beach. Maxim guns & teams left until Royal Fusiliers & transport handed over to 6th South Lancashire Regt.
12 midnight. marched off for V Beach.
12th July. 3.30. HQ Coy, embarked for Lemnos & rest of Battalion late. HQ Coy. arrived and disembarked about noon, remainder of Battalion during night.
13th July. Rested at Lemnos. No other Regiment of Brigade yet arrived. 2nd Lt. Nelson joined.
14th July. Rested at Lemnos. Daily routine started. Training of fresh squad of bomb throwers.
15th July. Re-organised Battalion & re-adjusted promotion of N.C.OS.
16th July. Remainder of Brigade arrive. Battalion move camping ground behind with rest of Brigade.
17th July. 12:30. Lt. Col. V. Henry, Royal Fusiliers takes over command of the Battalion. Draft of 1 officer (Capt Breily) + 99 men join Battalion & reported to companies. Capt J.A.C. Coves takes over A/Adjutant.

Lemnos.
18th and 19th July. Usual Routine. Instruction to bomb throwers.
20th July. Captains Murray, Hutchings. Lieutenant Watt joined us with 200 reinforcements.
21st July. 3:30PM. Embarked from Australian Pier- half the Batt on board HMS Bulldog destroyer & the remainder on transport. Disembarked at V Reach – Peninsula, at 9.pm. Marched to Gully Beach. Major McNamara. Egyptian Army attached to us today. Took over the duties of Senior Major and 2nd Lieutenant Nelson Johnson the duties of acting Adjutant.
22nd July. Resting here all day awaiting orders – Ideal for swimming.
23rd July. 4.30 am. Stood to arms for half an hour – remainder of the day we spent improving our quarters. 2nd Lieutenants Milligan & Yates of Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps joined us to day.
24th July. 4-30 am. Stood to arms – repeated yesterday operations.

Gully Beach
25th July. Company Commanders & O.C. inspected the trenches we to take over from the “Wilts” – as section of the firing line Called “Hampshire Cut” – 2/Lt. F.R. Logan joined us today.
26th July. Made all necessary preparations for the trenches. Captain C.E. Kailiel, “Queens” “Regiment joined us to day. Took over command of ‘C.’ Company.
27th. Left Gully Beach at 3 pm. and were in position in the trenches by 6 pm. Turks very cheeky until dusk. Night generally quiet.
28th July. Trench routine. Occasional sniping. Shelled in the afternoon, but no serious damage done.
29th July. Trench routine. 2nd Lieutenant Williams, W. G., “Kings Own” joined us today. Attached to B Company.
30th July. Celebrated victory of Nasiriyah(sic) – troops gave three cheers & fired a Feu-De-Joie. – Turks replied by heavy rifle fire.
31st July. Changed reliefs in firing line. “‘B’. ‘D Companies relieved A & B in the firing line at 3 pm. Barricades shelled for 1⁄2 hour at 6 pm.

Signed: V. Henry, Lieutenant Colonel Commanding 1st Lancashire Fusiliers. Gallipoli Peninsula. 1st August 1915.

Trenches
1/8/15. Evacuated Barricades to allow our Batteries to register on Turkish trenches. Fire very effective. Turks very quiet at night.
2/8/15/. Colonel Henry sent sick. Major MacNamara takes over command.
3/8/15. Evacuated Barricades for artillery. Gas alarm at 10.25 pm. Stood to arms with Gas Helmets on for 15 minutes -False alarm.
Gully Beach.
4/8/15. Relieved by Royal Fusiliers at 10 am. Arrived at Gully Beach 11.30 am. Made bivouacs and at one took advantage of the water to bathe.
5/8/15. Inspections nearly all day. Making good shortages and re-equipping men.
6/8/15. Left Gully Beach at 9 am. and proceeded to Eski Lines via Eastern Mule Track to Brigade Reserve. Arrived Eski Lines al 10.20 am. Bombardment commenced at 2.30 pm. Battalion stood to arms at 3 pm. Moved via A Company trench at 9 pm. to trenches in rear of Woster Flat. Did not arrive until 1 pm. owing to the blockage in the A Trench. Wounded and other troops passing. Stood to arms from 3 – 4.30 am.
7/8/15. “A and B boy left 8MM to reinforce North & Southern Barricades. Captains Honan. Murray. Eyre, wounded. Turks attacked twice during the night.
Trenches.
8/8/15. Very quiet in our immediate part of the line. Heavy bombardment, furious fighting all day by the Lowland Regiment on our right.
9/8/15. A & B withdrawn from Barricades. Battalion took over part of the firing line including ESSEX KNOLL & WOSTER FLAT. Barricades A, B, C Companies in the firing line. D Company in reserve. Very quiet night.
10/8/15. Demonstration at 2 am. Conjunction with Australians at ANZAC. Idea to kick large Turkish force here. Rapid fire from 2 am to 2.15 and again from 2.30 to 2.45 am ended by Cheers. Bombardment by our guns. Night routine after 4-30 am.
11/8/15. Generally quiet all day – received word that Turks were massing in H12B. Usual routine nothing happened.
12/8/15. Trench routine. evacuated from WOSTER FLAT in order to allow Batteries to register on H12B. Patrol of 3 men went out in front of parapet at 12 pm. but ascertained nothing of importance.
13/8/15. Lieutenant Pierce Medical officer went sick. Day & night generally quiet.

Trenches.
14/8/15. Lieutenant Whitaker M. Officer joined us today. Relieved by Composite Battalion. East Hampshire & Royal Scots. Bivouaced on Gully Beach.
15/8/15. Very quiet & peaceful day. Enjoyed sea bathing.
16/8/15. Major Pearso Pearsons arrived today and took command of the Battalion. Supplied fatigues all day.
17/8/15. C.O. and Company Commanders inspected trenches of the left section of the firing line which we are to take over on Friday.
18/8/15. Company Officers inspected firing line.
19/8/15. Embarked at W. BEACH al 10-30 pm. SS CLACTON. Disembarked by lighters in SUVLA BAY. 4 am.
20/8/15. Bivouaced close to landing. Marched off to CHOCOLATE HILL at 9 am. and rested in rear of the fort until daylight.
21/8/15. Moved to Brigade Reserve al 10.30 am. and made necessary arrangements for attack on Hill 112 al 3:30 pm. Bombardment commenced a 2.30. pm. Battalion Advanced by companies
beginning with A Company at 3.30 pm. as reinforcements to the “Munsters” B. C. D’ al intervals of 40 minutes. Fire broke out on the ground over which we had to advance and rather disorganised things. Casualties NCO’s & Men 222. Killed 17. Wounded 50. Missing 155. Officers 12 – Wounded.

Chocolate Hill.
22/8/15. Digging in all any. Reorganising Battalion. Three company officers left in the Battalion and all Lieutenants. Lieutenant England. 2nd Lieutenants Stevenson, Yates. At 6pm. left CHOCOLATE HILL and marched to Brigade Reserve on the left of SALT LAKE.
23/8/15. Directing all our energy to “dug outs.”
24/8/15. Draft 1445 men arrived – Two officers, Captain Crawley & 2nd Lieutenant Woodcock. Battalion working at night on old Communication Trench.
25/8/15. Draft 100 men – Half the Battalion working all night on old communication trench. remainder working on a trench which is to join the gap in present firing line.
26/8/15. Draft 43 men. Whole Battalion working all night on old communication trench.

27/8/15. Very quiet day. Fatigue at night of communication trench.
28/8/15. Same routine as yesterday. Lieutenant Whittaker Medical Officer relive by Lieutenant Wisely M.O.
29/8/15. Fatigue at night of Communication Trench.
30/8/15. No fatigues today. Major Pearson with Company officers inspected trenches occupied by Royal Fusiliers.
31/8/15. Moved into trenches after dark. Relieved Royal Fusiliers by 11:30 pm. Short of officers. Have only 5 Company officers to the Battalion. “B” Company lent to the Munster Fusiliers who are next to us on our right.
Suvla Bay 18th August 1915. Signed W.S. Pearson. Major Commanding 1st Lancashire Fusiliers.

September 1915:
Suvla Bay.
Trenches.
1/9/15. Borrowed 4 2nd Lieutenants from 2nd Royal Fusiliers. Lieutenant Wiseley M.O. wounded this morning. Lieutenant E. Tawse M.O. joined us today.
2/9/15. Patrols sent out by us at night. Discovered enemy’s working party in front of enemy’s trenches. Bombarded during the day by enemy’s artillery. Considerable damage done to parapets.

Private John William Conway was killed in action on the 1st September, although it’s possible he was killed during the bombardment mentioned above. He was 35 years old and was buried in Amzak Cemetery at Suvla. He is buried in grave number 14 of row A, in Plot I.
Also serving with him was Private Leonard Windle, also from Colne, who confirmed his death. He wrote to his mother to let her know and to pass on that message to John’s wife Mary.
This was reported in the local newspaper.

Burnley Express and Clitheroe Division Advertiser, September 25, 1915, page 4:

Trawden soldier killed. Private J. Conway.
On Monday Pte. Windle’s mother received a letter from her son, in which he stated that Pte. Conway was killed on September 1st. She went to the house of Mrs. Conway, at Trawden, and when she arrived she found the widow of the deceased soldier reading letter from her husband, which was dated August 31st, in which he said he was all right and hoped to be back before Christmas. On the table unopened letter from the War Office, which had come by the same post, Mrs. Conway naturally having opened her husband’s letter first. When Mrs. Windle broke the sad news to her friend, the letter from the War Office was opened, and it was found to be an official intimation of Pte. Conway’s death.
Pte. Conway was employed as a forkmaker at Messrs. Crabtree’s, Colne, before joining the Army, and he is survived by his widow and five children, the eldest of whom is 12 years old.

Note:
Mrs Margaret Windle lived at 13, Moor Street in Colne, Lancashire. In 1911 she was a 49 year old widow, living there with her daughter Amy aged 21 who was a dressmaker’s assistant; son Leonard aged 18, and Maggie aged 15, were both employed as weavers of coloured cotton.
Leonard served in the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers at Gallipoli, along with John William Conway.
Sadly Leonard also died in the war. He was serving with the 15th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers at Blairville, when he was killed in action on 10th June 1918. He was buried at Blairville Orchard Cemetery just to the South of Blairville in France. His grave was exhumed in 1923 and moved to Cabaret Rouge Cemetery near Arras in France. It is grave number 14 in row A, of plot I.

Post war:

John’s wife Mary was his next of kin and would have received his personal effects, plus his medals which were the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. She would also have received a bronze war memorial plaque and a King’s certificate inscribed with his name.
The soldier’s effects record shows that there was a credit in his Army account of 7 shillings and six pence but that the same amount was to be charged from it. This may mean that she received no money from the Army.
There is also a war gratuity payment of £3 paid on 25th August 1919 to ‘Widow and Sole legatee Mary.’
Next to this has been written ‘Claim still outstanding 2/6.’ but no explanation of what that means.
A dependant’s pension of 16s. 6d per week from 20th March 1916 appears to have been upheld for their six children, but Mary was described as ‘Widow unworthy of pension.’ (The back of the card is blank and there is no explanation for this statement, but perhaps the pension authority suspected her of cohabiting.)
They were living at 15, Mill Street in Trawden at the time. The children’s pensions ran until their 16th birthday and on the pension card the details for each child are as follows:
Herbert: birth 24/12/03, date of expiry: 24/12/19.
Leo: birth 19/3/05, date of expiry: 19/3/21.
Anna: birth 22/3/07, date of expiry: 22/3/23.
Dennis: birth 10/5/10, date of expiry: 10/5/26.
John Milton Neil: birth 15/9/13, date of expiry: 15/9/29.
John William: birth 23/1/16, date of expiry: 23/1//32.

John’s widow Mary died aged 36 in 1920. Her death was registered in the third quarter of the year. This left all the children orphaned. The eldest was Herbert who would have been almost 17 but the youngest John William was just four years old.

We have managed to trace their six children in the 1921 census:

Herbert and Leo were living at 13, Wellington Street, Colne in Lancashire with their uncle and aunt Robert and Margaret Howarth and their son Robert aged six.
Herbert was 17 and working as a warehouseman for Frankland & Co. Cotton Manufacturers.
Leo was 16 and was working at a weft fork driller for Crabtree Brothers, (the same company as his father.) Neither were on the pension at this time as they were both aged 16 or over.
Anna was living at 6, Bridge Street, Kearsley with George and Beatrice Williamson. Anna is 14 and described as a ‘Soldier’s orphan.’ It says ‘Not occupied for a living.’ but this is crossed out. She was of course on a dependant’s pension at the time and would be for another couple of years to come.
Dennis, John Milton and John William were all in St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Home together.
This was at Barlow upon Erwell (West of Manchester) and was a part of the poor law institution. The address was 31, Green Lane, Patricroft.

Remembrance:

Named in the Borough of Keighley Roll of Honour Book as Conway, John W. He is not named on any other memorial in Keighley.
He is named on the Trawden War Memorial near Colne, Lancashire, which is in that village next to the junction of Keighley Road and Skipton Road/Church Street (the B6250.)
There is a photo on Robert Wade’s Flickr photostream here.
John is also named on the main Colne War Memorial on Albert Road in the town.

Information sources:

England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
1881 England Census.
1891 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915.
1901 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
Graces Guide.
1911 Census.
Lancashire, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1939.
British Newspaper Archive.
Burnley Express Newspaper.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
1921 Census Of England & Wales.