Peter Worsley

   Cause of his death was cerbovascular accident.

  General Notes:

In 1905, when Peter was old enough to leave St. Pauls Catholic School, Burtonwood he followed his father into mining. Originally Peter worked as a tally hanger, although soon trained as a Blacksmith. His father was also a keen pigeon fancier and this interest he passed on to Peter who raced pigeons for several years. He and Alice first met at a Christmas dance in the Town Hall in 1913

Peter enlisted in the 118th Railway Company, Royal Engineers in December 1915 after originally trying to join the Navy (his employers refused to release him since he was doing important war work) and landed in France in February 1916. This unit lost 14 men killed during the war. He was severely wounded on 21 July 1916 and was evacuated to 3rd Southern General Hospital, Cowley Road, Oxford where he spent three months in hospital. When Peter first went to France his future wife had given him a wrist watch that later broke down. This he put in his breast pocket to have repaired just before his wounding. A shell fragment smashed into the watch and this probably saved Peter's life. The most complete account I can find of this incident is in a memoir written just after the war by a W J Summers and held in Chippenham Museum. This man was sent from the Gloucester Regt to join the unit and was there during the attack. He wrote “[on] 21 July 1916 at about 1.30am the enemy paid us a visit with one of his bombing places, and unfortunately for [us] dropped one of his bombs right in the middle of the ammunition dump which was very soon all ablaze the commotion were terrible shells of all sizes were hurled through the air practically all the houses in the village [Audrique] close by were wrecked practically all the men of the Ordnance Corps that were engaged in loading and unloading were either killed or wounded. Some were never found. Major Ward saved two trains out of ten and several men, we remained at the depot until 7.30am when it became evident that all was lost. Major Ward gave us orders to evacuate this we promptly did…”

In fact at least five of Peter's colleagues in the 118th Railway Company were killed on 21 July 1916 - (1) Spr 138558 Thomas William Adams who had been born in London and enlisted at Upper Heyford in Northants (2) Spr 149243 E C Baldwin who had been born at Gloucester and enlisted there (3) Spr 149426 Alfred Hughes Ford aged 23. Son of Abram and Rose Ford of Fosseway Cottage, Batheaston, Bath. Born at Bromley in Kent and enlisted in Birmingham (4) Spr 138612 Arthur Giles. Son of Thomas and Maria Giles of Daylesford nr Chipping Norton, Oxon. Born at Kingham, Oxon and enlisted at Winchcombe, Glos (5) Spr 138673 George Wilkinson aged 27. Son of Elizabeth and Miles Sherwood Wilkinson of 2 Bridge Cottages, Acaster Malbis, Yorks. He had enlisted at York from Bishopthorne, Yorks. All are buried in Calais Southern Cemetery, France - Plot E Row 2. It is also possible that there was a sixth casualty - Spr 14691 Albert Ellis Lucas who is listed as dying of wounds on Jul 1916 aged 32. Son of Edward and Alice Lucas, of High Street, Chatham; husband of Rose M. Lucas, of 60, Edinburgh Road, Chatham. Born in Chatham and enlisted there. Calais Southern Cemetery, France - E 3 4. In both the CWGC Register and Soldiers Died this man is listed as belonging to 18th Rly Coy. However, I can find no such unit and I believe that this is 118th simply with the hundred left off in error.

Recovering from his wounds Peter returned to his unit in February 1917 and served then until his discharge on 16 April 1919. During this second time in France he captained the company football team and despite his weakness from wounds led them to victory in the divisional match.

After the war he continued working as a Blacksmith for different employers but due to the depression he was made redundant from the forge and smithy department of the London & NE Railway Works where he was Blacksmithing in November 1931. Apart from some occasional work he remained unemployed until taken on again by that same firm in 1934.

Peter, Alice and Elsie had to live with Alice's parents, first at 117 Earle Street, Newton and then from 1925 at 73 Haydock St, Newton. When they died in the mid 1930's Peter and Alice then inherited the house and lived there for the next 20 years.

In 1938 made redundant again in October and went to work at Lea Green Colliery. In 1939 he resigned from colliery and worked for a while for a shipyard in Manchester before going to Osnath Pram Works of Ashton Bros & Phillips. While working for them he had also to work for a Bailey Bridge construction firm three days a week. In 1943 he worked for J Smethurst & Sons as a blacksmith and then the Vulcan Foundry Co as a labourer while in 1944 he was working for Wagon Repairs Ltd.

In March 1951 Peter stood as an Independent in the bye-election for the Wargrave Ward of Newton-Le-Willows Council. Most of his life he had been a Socialist and strong trade unionist but he became increasingly unhappy with both. In his election address, printed in the local papers, Peter said that he thought "…the Labour rulers of the town have put party interests before local interests." Peter then referred to his long membership of the Amalgamated Engineering Union. He said that he resigned the office of President and Treasurer of No 3 branch "…because I refused to sell my principles... and be associated with an act, which, in my opinion, was not conducive to the best interests of the AEU branch." The Conservatives supported his election despite his Independent status. Their letter to party supporters stated "We are satisfied that, although Mr Worsley is not a Conservative, his Christian principles are those which are needed in public life today..." He was defeated by the Labour candidate by 1189 votes to 836 and when he stood at the full elections in May he lost again.

He then turned his energies to helping his nephew establish Worsley Engineering until his mother died on 31 January 1954. With both sets of parents now dead Peter and Alice felt they could leave their home town to be nearer their daughter and grandson. So on 5 May 1954 they sold 73 Haydock Street and moved to 4 Eastward Road, Malvern Link. Peter got a job with Amalgamated Engineering on 27 May as a fitter's mate and later transferred to welding work. On 21 January 1955 he was badly burned when petrol got onto his sleeve and ignited as he was welding at Hollybush Quarry. He tried to sue for his injuries but lost the case.

Thereafter he lived in retirement until his death.

Peter married Alice Florence Sephton, daughter of William Sephton and Mary Jane Marsh, on 6 Sep 1920 in Burtonwood, Cheshire (St Paul of the Cross RC Church).¹ (Alice Florence Sephton was born on 29 May 1893 in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside,⁴ died on 20 May 1983 in Malvern, Worcs (Malvernbury, Abbey Rd) ⁵ and was buried in May 1983 in Malvern, Worcs (Cemetery).) The cause of her death was (a) Bronchopneumonia (b) Ischaemic heart disease pernicious anemia.