Herbert Birtles was born was born in Harpurhey, near Manchester, the son of Annie Birtles, who by 1914 was living at 16 Durham Street, Manchester. He had a brother James and two sisters, Annie and Alice. His father had died at some point between 1899 and 1901.

Herbert married Martha Openshaw on 2 May 1914 at Manchester. They settled at 23 Ella Street, Harpurhey. He worked as a washerman for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company. The couple had a daughter, Anna, who was born at Manchester on the 26 June 1914 and was baptised on 10 July 1914. Herbert enlisted at Manchester in 1914 and was an original 'Manchester Pal' serving with 17 Platoon, E Company, 21st Manchesters. He disembarked with the battalion in France on the 10 November 1915 where he served until his death. It was whilst he was in France that his second child, a son, Herbert, was born in May 1916.

Herbert fought throughout the Somme Offensive. On the evening of the 29 August 1916 the battalion marched from camp at Montauban and proceeded to positions south of Delville Wood, to the right of Brewery Salient. This was a complex area of shattered trenches to the east of Delville Wood from Edge Trench which ran along the edge of the wood, and out along the Ginchy road. The battalion's war diary for that date records: '3pm. Received orders to be ready to move up to take over line. 6.30pm. Battn marched from camp to Montauban thence to trenches South of Delville Wood T 13c 30-95 to T 19a 0.8 (1/2000 sheet, 57c S.W) Took over trenches from 20th Manchesters as follows A Coy right front line, B Coy left front line, C & D Coys in support. Bn HQ at Quarry N of Bernafay Wood (S22d 95.20). Battalion attached to 22nd Infantry Brigade. By 6.50a.m. on the 30th August the relief was reported complete.'

Herbert was killed in action, one of 46 men of the 21st Manchesters who died that day. Nearly two thirds of those have no known grave and like the thousands of missing on the Somme are commemorated by name on Thiepval memorial to the missing, which was opened in 1932. Herbert is one of those listed on the Manchester Regiment panels of the memorial - but unusually he also has a known grave. He now lies buried in Grave 14, Row M, Plot 25 within Serre Road No. 2 Cemetery. His headstone adjoins another commemorating an unknown soldier. Enquiries with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have ascertained that Herbert’s body was found along with an unidentified soldier at map reference 57c S.24 b.65.95.

The directions to the above map reference where Herbert and comrade were found have been described 'As you exit the South East of Longueval you come to the junction where you turn left for Delville wood, stay on the road to Guillemont, and from that junction walk 900 yards towards Guillemont - stop, and from the road edge walk at 90 degrees to the road towards Ginchy, about 140 yards from the road you are standing on the spot (this is near to a barn).'

CWGC could not offer any information as to when this discovery occurred but confirmed that Herbert and the unknown comrade were reburied side by side at Serre Road No.2. This was a concentration cemetery for remains found across the Somme battlefields and was completed in 1934. It now contains over 7,000 burials. It is my guess that the remains of Herbert and his comrade were found in the late 1920’s or early 1930’s, by which time Herbert's name had already been inscribed on Thiepval Memorial.

The family has his 'Soldier's small book', a couple of wartime photographs and an original letter Herbert wrote home in December, 1915. His medals, the 1914-15 Star trio, are held by another branch of the family and his death plaque is 'somewhere in Middleton' having been lost when taken to school by one of Herbert's great grandchildren for a school project in the 1970's.

Herbert's name is also recorded on the war memorial located at the entrance to Victoria Railway Station in Manchester City Centre, this memorial commemorates those of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company who gave their lives in the Great War. He is also listed within the Manchester City Battalions Book of Honour.

In 2004 Herbert's grandaughter and great grandaughter and other family members visited his grave on the 89th anniversary of his death.

Herbert's daughter, Anna died in September 2005 and his son, Bert is now aged 90 years.

This excellently researched and moving article was kindly submitted to The Long, Long Trail by Neil Drum.

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