Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Grave: | Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval | XII. K. 2. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.139 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 54A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of the late William and Jane Katrina Worthington (nee Callender), of Manchester. The 1901 census shows him at age 18, living at 148 Cecil Street, Moss Side, Manchester with a brood of 10 siblings, mother and father and boarder.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 20th (Service) Battalion (3rd Public Schools) Royal Fusiliers |
20th (Service) Battalion (3rd Public Schools) Formed at Epsom on 11 September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Men's Force. 26 June 1915 :came under command of 98th Brigade, 33rd Division. Landed in France in November 1915. 27 November 1915 : transferred to 19th Brigade, 33rd Division. 16 February 1918 : disbanded in France. |
| Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 |
The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.
Detail :
Probate WORTHINGTON Cecil of 372 Upper Brook-street Chorlton-upon-Medlock Manchester a corporal in the 20th service battalion Royal Fusiliers died 20th July 1916 in France or Belgium while in actual military service Probate Manchester 30 August to Claude Leeder Worthington bank clerk. Effects £171 5s. 6d.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | King Edward the Seventh No. 3329 E.C. | East Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
9th January 1914 | 13th February 1914 | 13th March 1914 |
Listed as a 30 year Insurance Official in 1914 just prior to the war, when initiated into King Edward VII Lodge. His war service is recorded, as is the date of his death: "Killed in action 20/7/1916."
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