Lance Corporal 17502 Joseph Hayes Critchley

Grave photograph courtesy of Steve Moore and Margaret Carter.

Killed in Action Gallipoli on Friday, 10th December 1915, age 27.
Buried in Grave I. E. 5. at Azmak Cemetery, Suvla, Turkey.

7th Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 33rd Brigade of 11th Division.

Born: Earlestown, Lancs, Enlisted: Wednesbury, Resident: Tipton.

First landed Balkans, 11th September 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/601768/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Joseph Hayes Critchley registered September quarter 1888 in Warrington.

1901 Census
17 Villa Road, Oldham, Lancs.
Joseph Critchley (41, Plumber, born Manchester), his wife Emily (39, born Salford), and their 6 children: Martha A. (17, Cotton Card Loom Hand, born Golborne, Lancs), Emily (15, Double Piecer at Cotton Mill, born Golborne), Joseph H. (12, Little Piecer in Cotton Mill, born Earlestown, Lancs), John (10, born Golborne), Frederick (6, born Oldham), and Alice (2, born Oldham).

Marriage of Joseph Hayes Critchley and May Lillian Rollason registered September quarter 1908 in Oldham.

1911 Census
45 Hollins Road, Oldham, Lancs.
Joseph Hayes Critchley (22, Big Piecer on Cotton Mule, born Earlestown, Lancs), his wife Lilian May (22, born Netherton), and their 1 surviving child of 2: Joseph (1, born Oldham).
Both the birth and death of their first child, Eva, were registered in June quarter 1909 in Oldham. Two further children were born, Alice on 30th May 1912 and Hilda Mary on 6th November 1914.

The marriage of Lilian May Critchley and Joseph Smith was registered in September quarter 1919 in Oldham.

Personal Data

Joseph Critchley was a Lancashire man who had married a Netherton girl, Lilian May Critchley, in Oldham in 1908. Their address in 1911 was Hollins Road, Oldham, but 'Soldiers Died in the Great War' shows Joseph as resident in Tipton at the time of his enlistment, this is the only indication of a Tipton connection. This would tie in with his enlistment in the South Staffordshire regiment in 1914 or 1915.

In January 1916, the Dudley Chronicle article reporting Joseph's death (see below) gives Lilian's address as Raybould's Fold, Netherton; it is possible that she moved back to her parents home while Joseph was serving in the army. By July 1916 when her pension commenced, her address was given as 15 Sutcliffe Street, Oldham. Lilian appears to have remained in Oldham as she re-married there in 1919.

After Joseph's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £3/12/7d (3 pounds, 12 shillings and 7 pence); this was paid to his widow, Lilian M., in March 1916. His War Gratuity was £3/0/0d (3 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his widow in August 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Joseph had enlisted witin the 12 months proir to his death.

Joseph's widow, Lilian May, was granted a Widow's Pension of £1/0/6d (1 pound and 6 pence) per week for herself and her 3 children, this was effective from 17th July 1916.

Action resulting in his death

Joseph arrived in Gallipoli on 11th September when the South Staffs major actions in the peninsula had already taken place. At this time the battalion was being re-built as they had almost 200 men killed during July and August 1915, and were mainly involved in holding the line and innumerable work parties. November saw violent storms and freezing conditions, with trenches flooded and cases of frostbite widespread.

On 9th December, the 7th South Staffs took over an area known as the 'Grouse Butts' at Suvla. The 'Grouse Butts' were a series of posts being constructed just in front of the British lines in order to improve defence. They were about 150 yards from the Turkish lines, and considered one of the most dangerous parts of the line.

It was now known that the Gallipoli evacuation was to go ahead, and on 10th December initial preparations began. It was on the 10th December that Joseph Critchley was killed in action, a further 3 men from the 7th South Staffs were also killed on that day. The 4 men are buried side by side in Azmak Cemetery, Suvla. The 7th South Staffs completed their evacuation from the Gallipoli peninsula on 21st December.

Newspaper Cuttings

Dudley Chronicle, 29 January 1916
A NETHERTON SOLDIER KILLED.
Mrs Critchley, 27, Raybould’s Fold, Netherton, has just been officially notified of the death of her husband, Lance-Corporal Joseph H. Critchley (17502) of the 7th Worcesters (Editor: actually 7th South Staffs), who was “killed in action, December 10th last, at a place unknown.” A letter from a comrade on the battlefield gives the information that Critchley’s death was caused by a shell which injured two other soldiers. He leaves a wife and three children to mourn their loss. He was 27 years of age.