Reginald St John Battersby

Reginald Battersby was born on 26 February 1900, the second son of the Reverend Walter Schofield Battersby and his wife Susannah. His father was the first vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Blackley, His mother died in 1914 and Battersby was raised by his father alone. == First World War ==

Battersby did not get along with his father and, on 30 January 1915, at 14, ran away from home to join the British Army. He enlisted at the recruiting office in Blackley, telling the sergeant on duty that he was a 19-year-old draper. Within a week, he had been promoted to lance corporal with the 14th (Reserve) Battalion of the Manchester Regiment at Whittington Barracks. At just 15 years old, he is thought to have been the youngest commissioned officer in the British Army of the First World War. He was placed in command of a 60-man platoon in C Company, made up largely of men from the Chorley area, and led them over the top of the reserve trenches at 7.30am. Their objective was to cross the British front line trenches and assault the German defences at Serre-lès-Puisieux, some 500 yards away. This killed or wounded all bar one of the officers present, including Battersby who was hit in his upper left leg by a piece of shrapnel. Battersby was asked by the army to relinquish his commission later that year owing to his wounds but replied that he would be capable of returning to duty if he received an artificial leg. He was fitted for a prosthetic limb and was passed fit for service on 13 March 1918, ten days later joining the Royal Engineers Record Office Transportation Branch. He remained with the Engineers until he resigned his commission in 1920. == Post-war ==

After leaving the military, Battersby was admitted to King's College London to study theology, despite not having completed his secondary education. They had one son, Anthony, who later served in the Royal Marines. In the 1950s, Battersby served in the volunteer Civil Defence Corps and received the Civil Defence Medal for long service. Battersby retired from the church in 1972. He suffered from phantom pain in his missing leg, which forced him to take strong painkillers, and towards the end of his life suffered flashbacks to his time in the trenches. He died on 1 December 1977 and is buried under an oak tree in his churchyard at Chittoe, facing his parishioners. == References ==