Fred's tribute to those who lived with death

Thousands of local men fought under the most appalling conditions in a three month campaign.

And it was local men who actually captured the village before it was shelled by Germans and they were wiped out.

Weeks later when the Canadians took back the village, their cap badges were found in the middle.

Fred Holcroft's new book 'They Lived With Death' tells the story of the battle in the words of the local men who were there.

Mr Holcroft highlights many soldiers from the Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley area using reports from The Journals of that time.

One of them is Lance Corporal George Paddick of the Royal Engineers, who lived in Alfreed Street.

During the campaign he found himself guarding a mine shaft entrance during a German trench raid. He fought them off single handedly and saved the lives of the men below ground, being awarded the Military Medal.

Also in the thick of things was Private James Gradwell of the Field Ambulance Corps. A stretcher bearer, he had just returned to the front line after nine days' leave in Leigh - his first for two years.

The Journal of July 13, 1917 reports James:

"It is no easy work to carry a man a mile and sometimes two and three miles. When we get more away from the shell-swept ground we put the wounded on wheeled stretchers.

"Before 7th June, my mates an I were followed by shells along the road because Fritz had the position where he could see us but that is taken from him and how well we know it."

This is an informative, and moving, final part of Mr Holcroft's First World War trilogy 'Just Like Hell' (Dardanelles), and 'The Finest of All' (Somme) that have already been published.

Priced £4.99 it is now available at Chamley's in Leigh, Smith's of Wigan and John Menzies, or direct from the author, 54 Pemberton Road, Winstanley, Wigan, at the same price, including postage.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.