Manchester V.C for auction

[Andy Pay]

For Chris ans Mack,
Lance Corporal A. Wilkinson's V.C group is up for auction at DNW on 29th June, estimated to reach £80,000 to £100,000 but DNW estimates are always on the low side in my experience.

Andy

[Andy Pay]

pictures

[harribobs]

Pte Alfred Wilkinson, 43839, 1/5th batt Manchester Regiment

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on 20 October 1918 at Marou, France, during the attack, four runners had been killed in attempting to deliver a message to the supporting company and Private Wilkinson volunteered for the duty. He succeeded in delivering the message although the journey involved exposure to extremely heavy machine-gun and shell fire for 600 yards. He showed magnificent courage and complete indifference to danger and throughout the remainder of the day continued to do splendid work.


I shall have to check my piggy bank.............

[Andy Pay]

Chris quite a spread in the DNW catalogue

[harribobs]

he's not been added to their VC gallery yet but i'm sure they are ready to do it

[Andy Pay]

Alfred Wilkinson was born in Leigh, Lancashire in December 1896 and was educated at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Day School and at the Junior School. A member of the St. Joseph's Boy's and Young Men's Society, he worked locally as a piercer at the Mather Lane Spinning Company, where his father had earlier worked as a spinner, in the period leading up to the outbreak of hostilities.

[Andy Pay]

In December 1914, he enlisted in the Royal Scots Greys, transferring to the Seaforth Highlanders in the following year abd finally to the 1/5th Manchester Regiment, in which later unit he won his V.C. for his magnificent courage at Marou on 20th October 1918. He had originally entered the French theatre of war with the Seaforth's at the time of the famous Somme offensive in July 1916 and, according to Creagh and Humphries, had displayed gallantry on another occasion as a company runner -  the contemporary newspaper source for this incident attributes it to the date of his V.C. exploits, although his stated unit and the location suggests otherwise.

Andy

[manchester regt]

born,leigh in lacashire 5-12-1896
died 18th oct 1940 at work,he was overcome with carbon monoxide poisoning due to a blocked ventilator shaft at bickershaw colliery,leigh
buried in leigh borough cemetary,plot 1 u,grave 99
his grave was a little overgrown the last time i saw it,but he does have a nice headstone,unless the morons have wrecked it since,mack

[liverpool annie]

OBITUARY:
Tragic Death of Leigh V.C.,
23 October 1940
Mr. Alfred Wilkinson, Leigh’s only
V.C., died under tragic circumstances
on Friday. Employed in the surveyor’s
laboratory at Bickershaw Collieries,
Plank Lane, he was found dead in a
chair at noon. Mr. Wilkinson was
testing the samples of air taken from
different areas of the mine to
determine the amount of gas present
in order to monitor the amount of
ventilation required in any part of the
mine.
According to a colleague, Mr.
Wilkinson felt unwell, and sat in a
chair; it was sometime later that his
colleague returned (he had been
underground) and found him in the
chair as though asleep. All attempts to
resuscitate him were made, and Mr.
Wilkinson was confirmed dead on the
way to hospital.
The post mortem revealed that he
had died from carbon monoxide
poisoning and a subsequent
investigation found that a ventilation
pipe had been blocked by a dead bird.
He was just 43 years old. On the
morning of his death he received a
letter informing him that he had been
granted a commission in the Pioneer
Corps. He left a widow and child.
Flags in the town were flown at half-
mast and he was buried in Leigh Cemetery
with full military honours

Annie