Service Life:

Campaigns:

• North West Frontier 1895-1947, Northern India.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Although many perished in times of national conflict and in the service of their country, many more survived including those interned as Prisoners of War. Stories of those who did survive are included as part of this site, especially those with high gallantry awards, those included against an external rolls of honour and those who had a distinguished career in wartime and military leaderhip.

Detail :

It has been difficult to reference Richard Haworth, as there are numerous casualties of the same name, with the only real match having the rank of Private. From his masonic record, we understand that he was a Lieutenant in 1913 at Mooltan (Note, there is a picture of Lt. Haworth at Mooltan dated 1911 See more at: Lancashire Fusiliers - 20th Foot). Research by Bob Dixon has revealed that this is Major Haworth DSO, MiD who according to the following account was shot in the back at Gallipoli (but survived), after landing there on 25th April, 1915, but goes on to say that he received the rank of Major in 1917.

VC & DSO Volume II Page 392 "HAWORTH, RICHARD, Capt., was born at Cheadle, Cheshire, 25 Aug.1882, son of Frederic Haworth, Honorary Colonel, 7th Battn. Lancashire Fusiliers (Territorial Force), Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace, Westmorland. He was educated at Horton Hall, Northamptonshire, and Charterhouse School, and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned in the 1st Battn. Lancashire Fusiliers, 28 Feb. 1902; became Lieutenant 23 Jan. 1905, and Captain 27 Nov. 1914, and served continuously with that battalion until 25 April, 1915, in Malta, Gibraltar, East India, Aden and in Gallipoli. He saw active service on the North–West Frontier of India, assisting in operations against the [?Moh–mJ.nds?] (attached 1st Battn. Prince of Wales's Own West Yorkshire Regt. and was awarded the Medal with clasp."

He served during the European War, taking part in the landing on " W" Beach (Lancashire Landing), 25 April, in command of A Company, 1st Battn. Lancashire Fusiliers. Capt. Haworth, with 50 men, was told off to capture a very strongly held re–doubt, surrounded by formidable wire entanglements. Although wounded, he refused to be removed until more troops arrived, and continued to command with a bullet through his back.

An article written by Captain Haworth appears in THE CARTHUSIAN dated JULY, 1915 Page 477-478:

CAPT. HAWORTH AT THE DARDANELLES.
Captain R. Haworth, of the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, has sent home a letter in which he says :—
"Now about 'the eventful day. I'm afraid I shall not be able to give you anything but a very faint idea of the awfulness of it. Our brigade, the 86th, was the covering force for this division, and we landed at various points on the extreme south of the peninsula. The Lancashire Fusiliers landed by themselves in a little bay between Cape Helles and the extreme south-west point—Tekke Burnu. At 3.15 a.m., on 25th April, we were roused on H.M.S. Euryalus, and had breakfast at 3.30 a.m. We were then about two miles from the shore and stopped. By 4.30 a.m. we were all in the boats and clear of the ship in tows of four boats, with a steam pinnace to each. It was a lovely morning, and as we steamed in line abreast for the shore the sun rose over the distant hills. As soon as it was light the men-of-war commenced to bombard the coast and the noise was awful. When we were about half-a-mile from the shore the bombardment ceased, and we steamed on in utter silence. About 300 yards from the beach the pinnaces stopped their tows, and the seamen in each boat pulled us in. Almost directly an awful rifle and maxim-gun fire broke out from the cliffs each side of our little bay. The sailors were splendid, pulling on under the awful fire, while they and our men were being hit. Eventually the boat grounded about 50 yards out, and I shouted to the men to get out. A good many were finished, and I jumped out up to my chest in the water. We were carrying two days' rations, 200 rounds, and full packs, which was the cause of several poor fellows, who were hit while in the water, being drowned. I fell down twice before reaching the beach, when I found we were under a terrific cross fire. I was getting the company together when Capt. Heard was very badly hit in the arm (died since of wounds). The only thing to do was to get the trench above us on the edge of the cliff. I got together about 30 men, and we were climbing up the cliff when Porter, who was by my side, was shot through the head and died almost at once. We soon came in sight of the Turks in the trench, and when about 100 yards away one let fly at me and took the top off my right ear, but I am glad to say I got him with my revolver the moment after, right in the head. Just as I reached the trench there was a terrific explosion—the trench was mined, and I and those near me were sent bustling down to the bottom of the cliff again. By this time I was fairly dazed, and after a bit decided to work round to the right, round the cliffs with what I had left of the Company, about 40 or 50. I was joined there by Tom Cunliffe, whose guns had been left on the boat which had now backed out again, and by Beaumont, with a few of B Company. We worked up to a big redoubt on the top of the ridge, which was our original objective. This redoubt was surrounded by masses of barbed wire, and we managed to get to the bank about 100 yards from the wire without much loss, but could not do anything more with the numbers we had. Meanwhile C and D Companies advanced on the trenches on the hill, and eventually took them, with rather heavy losses. It was now about eight a.m., and we lay where we were until reinforced at about five p.m. by some of the Essex and Hants of the 88th Brigade. At the time we were being sniped at from our left rear, and had lost about six men killed or wounded. About four p.m. they got me; I had been crawling up and down the line, and the beggar followed me all the time. The bullet entered about three inches to the left of my spine, and came out about four inches to the right, having gone right through behind the spine without touching anything. Of course this jar paralysed my legs for a bit, and I thought I was a 'goner,' but the feeling came back. About six p.m., when the reinforcements came up, two of my men put my first field-dressing on my wound and helped me down to the dressing station on the beach, where I spent the night. There were crowds of wounded lying there, and some ghastly sights. I lay between a fellow hit in the wind pipe, and another poor chap with a bullet wound in the stomach. We held the ridge behind the trench that night, though the Turks made vigorous counterattacks, and the firing was incessant. Next morning I was taken off with the others to the Caledonia, and two days after transferred to this hospital ship. On the Sunday night we buried 65 of our fellows on the beach alone and four officers. At present I am bent up like an old man of 80, but it gets less stiff each day. We are very well looked after on this boat. There are eight nursing sisters on board."

He was mentioned in General Sir Ian Hamilton's Despatch 12 June, 1915, and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 3 June, 1915]: "Richard Haworth, Capt., 1st Battn. The Lancashire Fusiliers. For gallantry and devotion to duty in connection with the operations at the Dardanelles. "He was promoted to Major 18 Jan. 1917; was Officer, Company of Gentleman Cadets, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, March to Sept. 1917; Commander, Company of Gentleman Cadets at the R.M.C. Sandhurst. For services see p. 409 [L. G. 3 July, 1915)."

A reference to his actual death appears in the archives of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) archives:

"Richard HAWORTH, b. ca. 1882 at Cheadle, b. reg. Q4 1882 at Stockport R.D., d. 6 Jan 1954 at Westmorland County Hospital, Kendal, Westmorland, d. reg. Q1 1954 at Westmorland South R.D. In 1891, living with his parents. In 1901, a gentleman cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Berkshire. In 1911, a lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, Multan, Punjab, India. Awarded D.S.O. and M.V.O. At his death in 1954, of Oliver Close, Loughrigg, Ambleside. Probate 22 Mar 1954 to Lloyds Bank, Ltd.; effects £48,297 9s."

Citations & Commemorations :

Masonic :

Bearing in mind, that Richard wrote an article post-wounding at Gallipoli, the only erroneous reference to his death in 1915 is the Masonic Record which shows a final annotation of "Killed in Action Apr 1915" in the lodge's contribution ledger. It is clear Richard Howarth did not die at Gallipoli, but he is still listed amongst those of Mooltan Lodge on the 1921 Book, The Masonic Roll of Honour and further on the 1940 Scroll, Panel 21 Column A, at the shrine in Great Queen Street.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Researcher : Bob Dixon