PaulC78 Posted 28 June Share Posted 28 June (edited) A postcard I picked up on ebay a while ago showing soldiers of the DLOY at Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire. The postmark is 28 September 1914. Sent to a Miss May Eyre at Whaley Bridge, it reads: Reserve Squad D.L.O.Y. Scarisbrick Hall Nr Ormskirk Dear May, Sorry have not replied to your PC. Glad you had a nice holiday. We are still having a rough time. Has my leggings come yet. Anything back in Whaley. The photo shows us taking our horses down to the lake to drink. Can you see me ※ - me Frank A closeup of the marked area, I reckon she would have had a hard time picking him out: Edited 28 June by PaulC78 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC78 Posted 28 June Author Share Posted 28 June A bit of context from the local newspaper: Ormskirk Advertiser, 1 October 1914 (Source: FindMyPast) Ormskirk Advertiser, 22 October 1914 (Source: FindMyPast) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC78 Posted 28 June Author Share Posted 28 June 1911 Census for the Railway Hotel at Whaley Bridge: (Source: FindMyPast) No "May Eyre" (perhaps Mary Elizabeth?), but maybe Frank Eyre is the soldier in question? I can't find any military records to verify though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 28 June Share Posted 28 June Any idea where that photo was taken, Paul? It doesn't look anywhere near Scarisbrick Hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC78 Posted 28 June Author Share Posted 28 June Not sure Ken, the writing on the back suggests Scarisbrick Hall but I don't see anything familiar in the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 28 June Share Posted 28 June The postcard reads that they were taking the horses to the lake. This 1909 map shows The Lake just to the east of Scarisbrick Hall, but the postcard could be any lake. Brian Courtesy NLS https://maps.nls.uk/view/101102687 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 28 June Share Posted 28 June 37 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said: The postcard reads that they were taking the horses to the lake. This 1909 map shows The Lake just to the east of Scarisbrick Hall, but the postcard could be any lake. Brian Courtesy NLS https://maps.nls.uk/view/101102687 The problem is that Scarisbrick is pan flat, so the hills in the photo don't match the topography of the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 28 June Share Posted 28 June 4 hours ago, Ken Lees said: The problem is that Scarisbrick is pan flat, so the hills in the photo don't match the topography of the area. Ken Yes I agree, my initial thought was Parbold Hill but then I noticed what appears to be a Mill chimney. When I was researching the Bolton Artillery in the 1914 Bolton Evening News there were lots of references to the East Lancs Division setting up camps at Heaton and Turton. There were mentions of the DLOY, so I refreshed my memory The BEN 03/09/1914 reported that the DLOY encamped at Heaton had moved to Limefield on Col Ainsworth's estate at Smithills, near Limefield Reservoir. The BEN 10/09/1914 reported that A Squadron had left Smithills on Wednesday (09/09) for Egypt. D Squadron were expecting to move, most of the men had volunteered for overseas service. The BEN 16/09/1914 reported that the DLOY had left town for Scarisbrick. The Wigan Observer 17/09/1914 reported that 500 men of the DLOY had arrived at Scarisbrick on Wednesday (16/09) from Manchester and Bolton. So I think that the Chimney in the photograph is Barrow Bridge (still there, a famous landmark that Fred did not dismantle) with the hills of The West Pennine Moors. The civilians in the picture indicate that it might be the Heaton camp rather than Turton Camp. There are photos in the Bolton Papers of East Lancs Div Horses being watered in Doffcocker Reservoir. This map shows Limefield Reservoir at Smithills and Barrow Bridge in the bottom right. Courtesy NLS https://maps.nls.uk/view/101102834 Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC78 Posted 28 June Author Share Posted 28 June (edited) Thanks for the info Brian. You might be right about the location but it's difficult to say for certain. The National Army Museum have a couple of photos of the DLOY at Scarisbrick: https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1992-09-138-30 https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1992-09-138-60 Edited 28 June by PaulC78 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 29 June Share Posted 29 June Just out of interest, I recently researched a man who served with a section of the Army Veterinary Corps at Scarisbrick Hall. It supported the Ormskirk Remount Depot and presumably also the yeomanry when they were present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC78 Posted 29 June Author Share Posted 29 June (edited) Thanks Chris. There are some photos of the AVC at Scarisbrick Hall in a local book, I have the scans somewhere. Edited 29 June by PaulC78 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 29 June Share Posted 29 June (edited) I hope to go to Bolton Library at some point this week so I will have a look at where I think the picture was taken. I know from the Bolton Evening News that the camp at Heaton was at Old Hall Clough, between Chorley Old Rd and Chorley New Rd. It originally housed the East Lancs RE (TF) from Manchester. The first mention of the DLOY being there as well is in the BEN 25/08/1914. It confirms that the horses were watered at Doffcocker Lodge and that there was plenty of interest in the camp from the public. This map, courtesy NLS, fits directly under the one I posted yesterday and shows Doffcocker Lodge marked as Reservoirs. Old Hall Clough is also shown. This article, courtesy BNA via FMP is from the BEN 25/08/1914 and mentions Markland Hill Lane, which is also shown on the map below the Lodge. Brian https://maps.nls.uk/view/101102864 Edited 29 June by brianmorris547 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 2 July Share Posted 2 July (edited) I could not match up the original photo with a location this morning. It is still my opinion that it is Bolton, however. Possibly nearer to Doffcocker Lodge than I first thought. I think Doffcocker could well be "The Lake" that Frank refers to in the card. This is the image from the Bolton Journal 28/08/1914 showing the Horses being watered at Doffcocker. Courtesy Bolton Library, Local History. I think it is taken from Markland Hill Lane. You do not get that view today. I found the DLOY in the 1914-15 Medal Rolls. It is on Ancestry under Northamptonshire Yeomanry Piece 2520 and starts on P 17. No trace of Frank Eyre (assuming Frank on the card is the brother on the census). Brian Edited 2 July by brianmorris547 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC78 Posted 2 July Author Share Posted 2 July Thanks for looking. I was exploring a bit on Google Street View, this won't be the exact location but I thought parts of High Rid Lane have the same look as the postcard: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.5860595,-2.5037849,3a,75y,284.23h,84.98t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s3jC3Vy8k0ECjgg5A_RU0Vg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D3jC3Vy8k0ECjgg5A_RU0Vg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D174.29616%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&coh=205409&entry=ttu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 3 July Share Posted 3 July Paul I like the stone wall, which is the same design as the wall on the card. I drove down Old Hall Lane yesterday, which took me past the High Rid reservoir, to see where the camp at Heaton was (Old Hall Clough). I made a mental note to have a further look on my next visit. I wanted to look at Doffcocker Lodge yesterday. I will be going again next week. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 8 July Share Posted 8 July (edited) I checked the area between Doffcocker Lodge and Barrow Bridge Chimney today. I think the picture was taken on what is now the Johnson Fold housing estate or the left of what is now Moss Bank Park as the men were coming down off the moors to water the horses at Doffcocker. This picture was taken from near St Peter's Church and looks across to Moss Bank. It would have been moorland in 1914. I think the picture was taken further to the left which is on a direct route to the Lodge, only half a mile behind where I was. Brian Edited 9 July by brianmorris547 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC78 Posted 8 July Author Share Posted 8 July Nice bit of detective work, thanks for taking the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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