A touching WW1 and WW2 British Father & Son medal set for William Oughtred Red Cross (WW1) & Capt Eric Oughtred, Gallipoli veteran 1/5th Manchester Regt (WW1 and WW2).
Rare for both father and son to serve in WW1.
WW1 Duo for William
WW1 duo, WW2 War Medal and WW2 Defence medal for Eric. Eric should also have received the 1914-15 Star but appears not to have done.
William Oughtred, Red Cross
Born 1854 in Stockton On Tees, Durham to William and Ellen Oughtred. In 1881, he married Martha Newsom, moving to Didsbury and having several children, including Eric Newsom Oughtred in 1890. By 1911, the family had moved to Wilmslow, Cheshire.
At the outbreak of war in 1914, his son, Eric enlisted, and by July 1917, and the age of 63, William had joined him, enlisting with the British Red Cross, certificate number 13396. At first he worked as an Orderly, before becoming a Searcher in November 1917. A searcher’s job was to search for traces of missing men, via various lists, hospital inmates, POW records and burials. He died shortly after the war in 1920
Captain Eric Newman Oughtred (2488), 1/5th Manchester Regiment, 6th Battalion (Territorial)
Born 1890 in Didsbury, Lancashire to William (above) and Martha Oughtred. Moved to Wilmslow, Cheshire by 1911. At the start of the war, Eric enlisted as a Private in the 1/5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, service number 2488.
He shipped out for Egypt in September 1914, seeing his first action on 3rd February 1915, defending the Suez Canal from a Ottoman attack. In May, he embarked from Alexandria, landing at Cape Helles, Gallipoli, the 1/5th being tied to the 42nd Lancashire Division. He took part in both the 2nd and 3rd Battles of Krithia, where the allies attempted in vain to break out from Cape Helles, before digging in for stalemate. At some point just after the 3rd Battle of Krithia (most likely due to the huge casualty rate the Battalion had suffered), Eric was commisioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, before being transferred to the 1/6th Manchester Regiment (who were also attached to the 42nd Division, in Gallipoli) as a temporary Lieutenant in late June, taking part in the the Battle of Krithia Vineyard (a diversionary attack for the British landing at Sulva Bay). He was eventually evacuated from Gallipoli back to Alexandria, along with his very depleted battalion in January 1916. He saw action again in August 1916, at the battle of Romani, defending the Suez Canal.
In early 1917, he was ordered to the Western front with the 1/6th, by which time Eric was an acting Captain, where they fought at Ephrey and Havrincourt, before being withdrawn to Albert for rest. In September he moved up to Flanders, for the 3rd Battle of Ypres, La Basse Canal, Battle of Bapaume, Battle of Arras, Battle of the Ancre, Battle of Albert and the Battle of the Selle. Eric was demobilised in December 1918.
Interwar, Eric moved back to Wilmslow, working as a Cotton Goods Merchant. In 1941, at the age of 51, he re-enlisted as a Lieutenant in the 10th (Wilmslow) Battalion, Cheshire Territorial Army (Home Guard), serving until the end of the war. He died in 1959, being buried with his parents.
