Fitting tribute to a Great War hero

AN OLDHAM soldier who died during the First World War has been commemorated on the 100th anniversary of his death with a new headstone.

Private William Winterbottom, of Oldham, died in England on June 29, 1917, due to injuries sustained during the Great War and was laid to rest at Greenacres Cemetery.

More than 16 million people died during the war and there are around 100 First World War graves in Greenacres Cemetery.

William's headstone deteriorated over time, but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), following concerns raised by his relatives, has installed a new one on the eve of the 100th anniversary of his death.

William was conscripted into the Cheshire Regiment in 1916. His brother James had volunteered in 1914 with the Duke of Lancaster's Yeomanry, which suffered so many casualties it was later consolidated into the 10th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment.

He came from a family of mill workers who at the time lived on Neild Street off Ashton Road and in the 1901 census are recorded as living nearby on Ashton Road.

William and his four brothers and sisters went to Hathershaw Board School, which is now demolished.

Kenn Winter, 70, William's great nephew, was first shown William's grave by his father, who was named after the fallen soldier and worked at Oldham Co-op Funerals Service for 20 years.

When shown Kenn noticed that in a twist of fate his birthday, June 29, coincided with the date his great uncle died.

Because of that bond Kenn decided to keep an eye on William's grave and its headstone.

As the headstone fell into disrepair and the family appealed for a new one from the CWGC, a subsequent search of Oldham Council's Bereavement Records at Hollinwood Cemetery by Kenn and his late brother Dennis revealed William's parents John and Hannah were also buried in the grave - they would have passed away after.

Kenn, who is a member of Oldham Area Civic Society, now lives in Huddersfield and recently joined his sister Teresa Wilde, 62, of Lees, to view William's new gravestone, installed in time to mark his anniversary.

Kenn said: "I was very pleased and grateful to the commission (CWGC) for replacing the original stone after 100 years, they are quite a big organisation and they have responded well.

"The fact that there are over a hundred First World War graves in that cemetery, it stands out now, you can see from the pictures, that part of the cemetery is the early part of it and they are all very old graves.

"It is quite a nice end to the story, I am grateful to the commission because they have shown quite a lot of sympathy. My sister is particularly pleased because she goes there often."