1914-15 Star
Unfortunately we don't know this man's first name or anything about his early life and family.
The First World War broke out in August 1914 and he joined a Territorial Force Battalion of the Manchester Regiment in late 1914 or early 1915. There were 6 of these units; the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Battalions. He was given the service number 3275, but we don't know which he joined.
All 6 battalions sailed to Egypt in September 1914 and took part in the invasion of Gallipoli in early May 1915. They took heavy casualties over the next few months and required reinforcements to bring them back up to strength. This man was one of the soldiers sent; he arrived in Gallipoli on the 23rd October 1915.
The rest of his life remains a mystery. If he stayed with the same battalion then he will have left Gallipoli in early January 1916 and sailed to Egypt. After a year defending the Suez Canal against the Turks the battalions were sent to the Western Front in France and Belgium in March 1917 and fought there until the end of the war in 1918.
At around the same time as the battalions moved to France soldiers serving in units of the Territorial Force were given new service numbers. We don't know this man's new number.
His medal was donated to the Museum of the Manchester Regiment in October 1997. As well as his 1914-15 Star, he will have been awarded the British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal for his Army service.
