Blue Plaque - Colour Sergeant Bebbington and Sergeant Hargreaves
Colour Sergeant William Yarwood Bebbington D.C.M. and Sergeant James Hargreaves D.C.M.
A Blue Plaque unveiled on 27th March 2007 at The Armoury, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne
Colour Sergeant William Yarwood Bebbington
William Yarwood Bebbington was born on 24 May 1916 to Joseph Yarwood Bebbington and Mary Ellen Bebbington (née Harrop), who resided at 144 Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne. William had three younger brothers and a sister.
In 1936 he married Ethel Foster at St James' Church, Cowhill Lane, Ashtonunder- Lyne and the couple had two children. In civilian life he was employed at the Lumb Mill in Littlemoss.
He was a pre-war member of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment having enlisted as a boy in November 1932. He was appointed Lance Corporal in March 1938 and acting Sergeant on 2 September 1939, the day when the Battalion was embodied for active service.
As Sergeant (3525822) at the age of twenty-four, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery and leadership as an acting platoon commander with the 9th Battalion in the British Expeditionary Force in France. He and Sergeant James Hargreaves were the only two soldiers of the Manchester Regiment awarded the DCM in World War II.
He was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance prior to the occupation of a position. As soon as he set out to perform this duty he was wounded in the left leg, considerably handicapping his work. He completed his reconnaissance and insisted on personally issuing orders to his section commanders, although this meant travelling a considerable distance in great pain and delaying attention to his wound. His Company Commander, Major George Manwood, recommended him for the award.
After hospitalisation in the United Kingdom he was transferred in August 1940 to the 1st Battalion in Singapore as Colour Sergeant and Company Quartermaster Sergeant and was taken prisoner following the surrender on 16 February 1942. His wife, then living at 32 Waddicor Avenue, Ashton-under- Lyne, learnt in April 1942 that he was missing but it was over a year later, in May 1943, that she had confirmation that he was a Prisoner of War in Siam.
He had been one of the 320 Manchesters, knows as 'F' Force, commanded by Major Hyde, and sent by the Japanese to work on the Burma/Siam railway on 25 April the previous year. Six weeks later, on 27 June 1943 age twentyseven, he died of cholera.
Two of William's brothers also served in the army; Private Joseph Yarwood Bebbington and Private Sam Yarwood Bebbington.
Colour Sergeant Bebbington was later buried in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand.
His widow, Ethel, lives in Tameside to this day.
Sergeant James Hargreaves
James Hargreaves was born on 31 March 1906. He had four brothers and three sisters. In 1934 he married Ivy Hall and the couple had one son, David.Ivy later died in 1955.
As a pre-war Territorial Army soldier, James Hargreaves resided at 40 Layard Street, Ashton-under-Lyne. As Sergeant (3520174) at the age of thirty-eight, he commanded 10 Platoon of 'C' Company, 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment in Italy from the crossing of the River Rubicon.
Sergeant Hargreaves was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his courage and leadership, described by Lieutenant Colonel Algy Parsons, his commanding officer, as 'of a very high order'. On 13 September 1944, Lieutenant Kenneth Nixon, commander of 10 Platoon, was killed and Sergeant Hargreaves took over command of the platoon. He remained in command until 9 November; during which time the platoon was in action from 13 September to 1 October and again from 11 October to 20 October.
Between 26 September and 1 October the platoon was in the area 7139671 supporting a troop of 46 Recce Regiment, which was established on the north bank of the River Rubicon. Throughout the action, although the platoon position was constantly shelled and mortared, Sergeant Hargreaves directed fire with complete disregard for his own safety and was largely instrumental in breaking up a series of enemy counterattacks on another troop position in the area 727972.
While the operations were in progress, the River Rubicon had become flooded, cutting off his platoon from the remainder of the Machine Gun Company. On two occasions Sergeant Hargreaves crossed under fire with ammunition parties, guiding them to the platoon position and enabling the guns to remain in action.
From 15 to 19 October Sergeant Hargreaves' platoon was in action before Cesena. On one occasion he was ordered to take up a forward position near the M. Romano feature. During his recce he was quick to grasp the importance of siting his guns further forward than had been anticipated, so as to produce enfilade fire behind a ridge in front of the River Savio. His intelligent appreciation of the situation resulted in a number of the enemy being trapped between his MG fire and the advancing infantry and subsequently captured.
Sergeant Hargreaves remarried in 1959, to Muriel Jolley. Two of James' brothers also served in the army; Corporal Frank Hargreaves and Captain Wilfred Hargreaves.
In civilian life James Hargreaves worked at Bowns Boilermakers of Dukinfield.
Following the war he moved to Preston where he was employed by British Rail.
James Hargreaves died in Preston on 12 January 1998.
Acknowledgements
Captain R.A. Bonner MA, Chairman, Museum of the Manchester Regiment and Tameside Local History Forum
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