Spotlight On war heroes


SPOTLIGHT ON . . . war heroes
The men who didn't return from war
December 2010	"Thank You" from the authors (updated September 2012)
Private Robert Sandland (right) - a war hero from Nantwich. The name of the other soldier is not known but he is a fellow soldier who is thought to have survived the war.
MORE than 1,000 men from the Nantwich and Crewe areas who were killed in the First World War will be commemorated in a book currently being prepared. It will be called "The Great War Chronicle of Crewe and Nantwich 1914-1918." The authors have been collecting the casualty photos for the past 11 years and are looking out for any that have so far slipped the net, especially images of men from the Nantwich area. The book is being prepared on behalf of Cheshire East Council and proceeds from the publication will go to local Royal British Legion branches. Among the Nantwich men to die was Private Robert Sandland, the great uncle of Mark Potts, one of the authors of the project, and whose name is commemorated on Nantwich War Memorial on The Square. Robert lived at 7 Bower's Row, Mill Street, and worked as a baker for Mrs Hassall in Hospital Street. He was killed in action at Givenchy in France, on June 8, 1918, aged just 19, following a German artillery barrage on the frontline trenches just as he was heading for billets. Mark Pott's co-author is Tony Marks.

Details of some soldiers still evade the authors

MARK Potts is trying to find details of the last surviving Crewe and Nantwich soldier to serve in the First World War.

In November 2011, Mark was still looking for details on the following soldiers: Edward A.Baker (Crewe), Albert Ball (Crewe), Albert Barnes (Nantwich), Harry Binnersley (Wybunbury), John Bisley (Nantwich), H.Breeze (Crewe), John Brookshaw (Shavington), B.Buckley (Crewe), W.E.Chamberlain (Acton), Edwin Cooke (Shavington), John Dodd (Crewe), Wilfred Hunt (Crewe), William Latham (Crewe), Alfred John Lovatt (Wybunbury), S.H.Matthews (Crewe), Harold Potts (Shavington), F.Powell (Crewe), Herbert Saunders (Nantwich), Charles Thomas (Shavington), Frank White (Coppenhall Lychgate), and F.Yates (Crewe).

As well as photographs and images of the men, and their details, Mark and his co-author are looking for pictures related to the First World War, especially street scenes of wartime Nantwich and the unveiling of the war memorial in 1921. He said: "I only have a second-hand copy of that event."

IF you have any photos of the fallen from the Nantwich and Crewe areas, please contact Mark Potts on 01270 560015 or e-mail him at mark@markpotts.wanadoo.co.uk

Three brothers will appear in a book out in 2014

AFTER reading the above item, Mark Potts send the following message to "A Dabber's Nantwich":

"THANK you once again for putting the appeal on the website. A few weeks ago I had a phone call from a lady in Sandbach who had photos of three Nantwich brothers who died during World War 1.

"Now my records had two brothers and a cousin, but her information was correct. The three brothers listed on the Nantwich War Memorial are Charles, Edward and Thomas Blears.

" The photos of the Blears brothers will now appear in "WHERE THE FALLEN LIVE FOREVER – THE GREAT WAR DEAD OF CREWE & NANTWICH" which is to be published by MPire Books in August 2014 – the 100^th anniversary of the start of the Great War. Any profits from the book will be donated to the local branches of the Royal British Legion.

"If any Nantwich residents have any photos of the local men listed on the World War 1 memorials can they please get in touch with me?

"Thank you so much for the appeal on your brilliant website."

lContact Mark Potts on 01270 560015 or e-mail him at mark@markpotts.wanadoo.co.uk.

Spotlight On (No 1): war heroes | Spotlight On (No 2): Additional homes | First World War soldier