376096 Pte Robert Heywood, seemingly from Hollinwood, enlisted on 25 January 1915, most probably in the Manchester Regiment, serving with the 1/10th (Oldham) battalion, a unit of the Territorial Force. Indeed, he can probably be identified with 3220 Pte R Heywood (both share the same battalion and disembodiment/discharge date – 18 February 1919). 3220 Heywood entered the Balkan theatre at Gallipoli (theatre code 2B) on 23 October 1915 – as such apparently a later draft from the 2/10th to the 1/10th, which had been there since early May. (There is no Medal Index Card or Medal Roll entry setting out eligibility for the British War Medal and Victory Medal for a man with that number, indicating that he must have been issued with these medals under another regimental number.)
After serving for a further two months on Gallipoli (unless previously evacuated for reasons of accidental injury or sickness) Pte Heywood would have been evacuated to Egypt via Mudros in December 1915, remaining in the Egypt on various duties, including manning the Suez Canal defences, until the 1/10th battalion, along with the rest of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division was transferred to the Western Front in March 1917. It is about this time he would have been issued with his new six-digit TF number of 376096.
Subsequently he would have been in line, after some months of familiarisation with Western Front conditions, to support (via the movement of supplies and ammunition) the divisions taking part in the Third Battle of Ypres, before being sent to Nieuport on the Belgian coast where the 42nd Division remained for some time. In March 1918 he would have been in a position to take part in the efforts to stem the German Spring Offensive before the Allied forces eventually went back on the offensive in August 1918. By 21 August the battalion was on the Somme, having spent the earlier part of the month patrolling out of Colincamps to test the extent to which the enemy was holding the opposing trenches, furnishing working parties, etc. Following a cancelled attack towards Miraumont on 21 August, on 22 August elements of the battalion were involved in repulsing an enemy attack under heavy shelling, and on the 23rd the battalion attacked and took an enemy trench at map reference K33, taking 4 prisoners and driving the rest of the garrison of the position into the Lancashire Fusiliers (to the left of the battalion) for the cost of 1 officer and 7 other ranks killed and 28 other ranks wounded. On 24 August the battalion was part of a movement on Miraumont itself: “2 platoons of c Coy pushed forward to NW edge of MIRAUMONT but held up by machine guns. The 5th East Lancs Rgt on the left of the Battalion sent 2 Coys to IRLES at 1-30 pm. At 1-30 pm B Coy was sent to R3 with orders to work up the North Bank of the ANCRE to MIRAUMONT. At 3-30 pm A & C Coys advanced from the NE of MIRAOUMONT into the village. All 3 Coys met in the village and then advanced over the ANCRE to the high ground in R12a. 40 prisoners and 18 machine guns taken n MIRAUMONT also other war material (wireless set etc). At 7 pm orders received that 5th East Lancs Rgt and 8th Manchesters would advance on LOUPART Rd and that the Battalion would be in Reserve.” It is almost certainly in the course of this action that Pte Heywood was wounded and then admitted to the care of 1/2nd East Lancashire Field Ambulance.
Under Index Number of Admission 50125 3825, 376096 Pte Heywood was admitted to No.3 Casualty Clearing Station from 1/2nd East Lancashire Field Ambulance on 25 August 1918 with a Gunshot wound of the back or spine . He was transferred the same day to No.37 Ambulance Train. The record noted his religion as Church of England and confirmed that at the time he was serving with the 1/10th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, 42nd Division . Accordingly, he was listed on War Office Daily List No.5677, Report Date 23 September 1918 as wounded, being thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916, the terms of this award being met by being named in this list. The list gave his Next of Kin Address as Hollinwood, south-west of Oldham.
He was discharged from the Manchester Regiment Depot under paragraph 392 King's Regulations (xvia) (Surplus to military requirements (having suffered impairment since entry into the service)) on 18 February 1919. He was subsequently pensioned at 5/6 weekly for one year from 31 October 1919 and would have received his Silver War Badge (number 463664) some time after February 1920.
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