377518 PTE. E. BRIERLEY. MANCH.R.

 

Ellis Brierley was born in the final quarter of 1892 in Pendleton, Salford. He was the youngest child of William Brierley (b. 1851 in Pendleton), a plumber by trade, and Emma Ann Price (b. 1852 in Pendleton).  William and Emma were married in 1874 and they had 6 children: William (b. 1876), Benjamin (b. 1879), Joseph (b. 1885), Robert (b. 1886), Jim (1890-91) and finally Ellis.  Emma died in 1899 and William two years later, so in 1911 Ellis was living with his older brother Benjamin and his wife and their three children at 14 John Street, Pendleton.  Ellis was 17 at the time and his occupation is given as hoist boy in a cotton mill.  In November 1915 Ellis married Adelaide Oates (b. 1892 in Pendleton), a cotton ring spinner.

 

It’s likely that Ellis was conscripted in 1916.  He was assigned the new-style service number 377518 and posted to 2/10 Battalion of the Manchester Regiment.  2/10 Bn had been formed in Oldham in 1914 as a second line unit and it came under the orders of 198th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.  This Battalion was posted to France in February 1917.  From 26 June 1917 66thDivision was engaged in operations on the Flanders coast (Operation Hush – the same operation in which 2241 PTE. S. BRIERLEY. R.M.F. had been killed on 10 July).  2/10 Bn came under attack on 30 July, when they had one officer and 3 other ranks killed.  Ellis and another man died of wounds at a Casualty Clearing Station at Adinkerke on 8 August.  Ellis was 24 years old (CWGC records his age as 25).  By this point, Operation Hush had effectively been abandoned.  2/9 and 2/10 Bns (both in 198 Brigade) lost 1 officer and 24 men in this operation between 15 July and 23 September, so it was a relatively quiet part of the front compared to what was happening at Ypres.

 

Ellis’ wife Adelaide moved to Brindle Heath and she did not remarry.  She died in Salford in 1965.

 

Rank:  Private

Service No:  377518

Date of Death:  08/08/1917

Age:  24

Regiment/Service:  Manchester Regiment, 2nd/10th Bn.

Grave Reference:  C. 2.

Cemetery:  ADINKERKE MILITARY CEMETERY

Additional Information:  Husband of Adelaide Brierley, of 7 Phoenix Street, Brindle Heath, Pendleton, Manchester.

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