Prisoners of War

This extract is from the book The Home Front During the First World War - Canal Port at War by Mike Royden(2014) and describes the experiences of those taken prisoner during the First World War. Several Ellesmere Port men went through this experience and numerous primary sources have been researched to reveal what they endured. (Under copyright - please do not publish this or use without permission).

Joe Mercer

Joe Mercer was Ellesmere Port's most famous son at the start of the war having been signed by First Division club Nottingham Forest F.C. after having been spotted playing for the local works team Burnell's Iron Works (a.k.a. Ellesmere Port Town F.C.). He signed on for the footballer's regiment in late 1914, and was later taken prisoner. (He is the father of Joe Mercer junior who later captained Everton, Arsenal, England, and managed Manchester City to the League Championship, before having a short term as England manager). (Under copyright - please do not publish this or use without permission).

In the 21 December 1918 edition of the Chester Observer it was remarked that 'Private E Chatburn was the 30th Ellesmere Port man to be captured and the 30th man to arrive home after over twelve months in Germany'. We can conclude that by the end of 1917 there were around thirty POWs. This list below has over forty men listed. Men captured during 1918 have to be accounted for, plus it is not clear if the figure includes those in other theatres of war. Nevertheless, the list below can be regarded as fairly extensive and will cover the majority of those men taken as prisoners of war. Not all of the men on this list survived the war however, and a small number can also be found on the war memorial page.

Private R. BIRKS
Royal Welch Fusiliers

MZ 554 J BROSTER
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Private CARTER
Regiment unknown

Private E. CHATBURN
Regiment unknown

Corporal Thomas CHEETHAM
Royal Munster Regiment

Private T. CHEETHAM
Regiment unknown

Lance-Corporal Len CLARKE
Regiment unknown (his brother was also a POW)

Private A. CORKER
Sherwood Forest Regiment

Lance Corporal T.E. CRESWELL
11th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment

Private Thomas DODD
2/5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment

Private Will DOWNWARD
Regiment unknown

Private J. EDWARDS
Cheshire Regiment

Private John EDWARDS
1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment

Private FRANCE
Regiment unknown

Private Charles GRIMES
Regiment unknown (one of four brothers fighting)

Private William HARDWICK
1/8th Irish Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment

Private Joseph HARDWICK
Regiment unknown

Private E JONES
Regiment unknown

Private Richard William LANE
6th Battalion South Wales Borderers
Died as a prisoner of war on 16 November 1918

Sapper Thomas Hewitt LEWIS
Royal Engineers

Private D MAYHEW
Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Private Thomas NYLAND
Regiment unknown

Private Job PERRY
Regiment unknown

Private PETERS
South Lancashire Regiment

Private A ROBERTS
Regiment unknown

Private J. ROBERTS
Grenadier Guards

Gunner L RUTTER
Royal Garrison Artillery

Private SHARPLES
Regiment unknown

Private SHELLEY
Regiment unknown

Sgt SUNDERLAND
Regiment unknown

Private A.E. TASKER
Regiment unknown

W.A. TASKER
Ellesmere Port's only civilian prisoner of war

Private TRAFFORD
Regiment unknown

Private G.E.TAYLOR
King's Liverpool Regiment

Rifleman Sam TUFT
5th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment

Private 10276 Edward TUSHINGHAM
2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment

Private William Henry VENABLES
Cheshire Regiment
(of Stoak village)

Private 6712 George WELLS
1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment

Private J WHITE
Regiment unknown

Private Arthur WILLIAMS
Royal Munster Fusiliers

Private James WINER
Regiment unknown (POW in Turkey)