John Wilfred's Story.
Wilfred is remembered on the Christ Church Memorial at Barnton, Northwich.
Northwich Guardian 21st May 1915; BARNTON STRETCHER-BEARER CONFIRMS THE REPORT. PRIVATE PASSEY’S TRIBUTE TO A FORMER COMRADE.
Private George A. Passey, stretcher-bearer with "D" Company of the 5th Cheshire Territorials, writing to his parents in Nursery Road Barnton, has confirmed the report of the death of Private Hayes. After assuring his mother and father that he is in the best of health and “getting along fine” Private Passey proceeds;- “We were relieved out of the trenches this morning and had got over a mile away from the trenches when Germans opened rapid fire. One shot dropped near me and the sergeant and I were just talking about it when word came down the line for the stretcher-bearers. So I went back and there I found poor Wilf Hayes with a bullet straight through the head. Poor lad, he never murmured. He went unconscious and died about ten minutes after. We did our very best for him but it was no use. The bullet had gone through his brain and stopped in his head. He was the very last man to be hit and I am sorry. There was a fine funeral – the best I have seen out here – of one of our young officers and Wilf. Four of us carried him about four miles so that he might be buried in a quite spot.”
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A second article on the same page; KILLED WHEN LEAVING THE TRENCHES. BARNTON TERRITORIAL SHOT IN THE HEAD.
News reached Barnton on Sunday that Private Wilfred Hayes of the 5th Cheshire Territorials and son of the late Mr. Thomas Hayes and Mrs Hayes of Runcorn Road, Barnton, had been killed in action. Confirmation of the report was received on Tuesday afternoon in the form of a letter sent by one of his comrades, Private Louis Robinson of the same regiment, whose home is in Lydyett Lane Barnton.
Private Robinson in a letter to his mother, dated May 12th wrote:- “We have just come out of the trenches after a few days spell. I am doing nicely and can not grumble. Alf (a son of Mr. R. Southern) must still be in hospital for he has not joined his section yet. Now, I come to the sorrowful part and I do not know how to let you know. We were getting along early this morning from the trenches when I heard a bullet thud behind me. Then came a shout from the stretcher bearers, so I knew someone had been hit. On making inquiry I found it was Wilf Hayes who had got hit. The bullet caught him at the back of the head and he fell and never made a murmur. He must have died immediately. They have carried him up here but where he will be buried I don’t know. I will let you know later. You can tell what a trial it has been to me to break the news to you. Some of you had better break it to Mrs Hayes for I dare not write and tell her. Of course, the War Office will let her know some time.
It will be a blow to poor Mrs Hayes but tell her the lads of “D” Company thought a lot of Wilf, for me he was such a willing lad and everyone liked him. It seems strange that only a few weeks back you heard that he was killed and now the actual thing has occurred.” (This seems to imply that Wilf had been reported killed recently but was false.)
Private Hayes before being called up for active service was in the employ of Messrs Brunner Mond and Co. and was the main support of his widowed mother. He attained his majority whilst serving his country. There are two other children, a girl and a boy and much sympathy is felt for Mrs Hayes and the brother and sister of the deceased in their great sorrow.
Northwich Guardian 18th June 1915. THE LATE PRIVATE HAYES OF BARNTON. MEMORIAL SERVICE AT LITTLE LEIGH.
A memorial service was held on Sunday evening in the Parish Church at Little Leigh for the late Pte. Wilfred Hayes of Barnton, who fell in action a few weeks ago while serving with the Cheshire Regiment. The deceased soldier was a regular attendant at the church. There was a crowded congregation, those present including the deceased’s mother and sister and numerous relatives and friends from Little Leigh and Barnton.
Special hymns were sung and the Psalms and lessons were appropriate to the occasion. The vicar, who conducted the service preached on the origin of the war and the heroism of the men who were giving their lives for home and country and were content, if necessary, to lay down their lives in the cause of justice and civilization. The roll of honour which hung in the church was indeed, he said, a roll of honour and at the conclusion of the war names of those upon it would be placed upon a tablet and let into the wall of the church, to remain there as long as the four walls of the church held together. At the conclusion of the service the “Dead March” was played. (Wilfred Hayes is not remembered on the Little Leigh memorial.)
C.W.G.C. record the death of a J. W. Hayes, Pte., with the 5th Bn. Cheshire Regiment No 2085 died 12/5/1915, aged 21, remembered at the Divisional Cemetery (D.9) Belgium.. Son of Wilfred Thomas and Catherine Jane Hayes of 20 George St. Barnton, Northwich.
The Cheshire Regimental book on the “Fallen” records John Wilfred Hayes with the 1/5th Bn., John was born in Budworth, Northwich, enlisted Hartford (Barnton Cheshire) No, 2085, K.i.A. 12/5/15, F & F.
B. M. & Co., remember a John Wilfrid Hayes at the Winnington Works, he was Pte. With the 5th Cheshire and was K.i.A.
N.A.M.C. have a medal card for a John W. Hayes Pte., of the Cheshire Reg’t., No 2085. Awarded the 15 Star, British an Victory medals. T.o.W. (1) France, D.o.E. 15-2-15. The card also states K. in A. 12-5-15. (Wilfred managed just 3 months from his date of entry!)
Cheshirebmd records the birth of a John W. Hayes in 1894 in Weaverham. The 1911 census has this Hayes family living at 243 Runcorn Road, Barnton, Northwich, head of the family is mother Catherine J. Hayes aged 43, widow, Grocer, own account, born Radcliffe, Lancs; John Wilfred aged 16, Labourer Chemical Works; Agnes Mary, aged 14, Clerk; Herbert B. (Butterworth) aged 10, school, the three children are recorded born Barnton
Research Bob H.