Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Helles Memorial | I. A. 8. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.128 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 17B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of the late James Potter Littler and Louie Matilda Littler, of Hollinwood, Oldham.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers |
1/8th Battalion August 1914 : in Salford. Part of Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade, East Lancashire Division. 25 September 1914 : landed in Egypt. 5 May 1915 : landed on Gallipoli. 26 May 1915 : formation became 125th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. 28 December 1915 : landed on Mudros and proceeded to Egypt. 27 February 1917 : landed Marseilles and proceeded to the Western Front. |
| Action : Gallipoli |
The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.
Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.
Detail :
His death was reported in the Manchester Evening News 17th August, 1915: "LIEUTENANT J.T. LITTLER KILLED. News has been received by his family of the death in action on August 7 in the Dardenelles of Lieutenant J.T. Littler, 8th Lancashire Fusliers. Lieutenant Littler was the youngest son of the late Mr. J.P. Littler of Hollinwood. He was educated at Oldham Grammar School, and afterwards became connected with the cotton spinning industry, occupying an important position at the Monton Mills at Patricroft. Gazetted to the Lancashire Fusiliers (Salford) in 1913, Lieutenant Littler proceeded to Egypt with his battalion soon after the outbreak of war. Since the beginning of May last he has been engaged in the operation at the Dardenelles. A well-known Freemason, he identified himself with the Callender Lodge, No. 1052."
A similar and shortened account appears in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 18th August, 1915.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Callender No. 1052 E.C. | East Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
29th December 1911 | 27th February 1912 | 13th April 1912 |
Listed as a 21 year old "Secretary", from Prestwich at the time of his initiation into Callender Lodge No. 1052 in 1911. His war service is recorded and that he was "Killed in Action about 7.8.15."
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