Richard Ormerod

 

Corporal 15173
11th Bn, East Lancashire Regiment

The son of Richard Ormerod, of Ramsgreave, Blackburn.

Richard was a member of D (Burnley) Company, 11th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment - the famous "Accrington Pals".

He was one of the many who were killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, and he died at some time between 1 July 1916 and 2 July 1916. Richard is buried in Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, France (Grave Ref. I. A. 24).

He was aged 23 at the time of his death.

Richard is on the list of original members of the Accrington Pals that was published in the Accrington Observer & Times on 23 February 1915, when they left Accrington for active service.

He is also remembered in the Greater Accrington Roll of Honour - his entry reading "ORMEROD, Cpl. Richard, 15173 (11th Bn., East Lancs. Regt.); s. of Richard Ormerod; lived at Blackburn; k.i.a. 1st/2nd July 1916 (23); bd. Euston Road Cem., Colincamps."

Richard is believed to be the Richard Ormerod, born in Salesbury, who, at the time of the 1901 Census, was living with his father, Richard, and sisters, Ellen and Mary, at 3 Cedar St, Blackburn.

The Soldiers Died in the Great War Database records that Richard was born in St Michael's, Blackburn, and enlisted in the Army in Accrington.

He is commemorated, along with eleven others, on St Gabriel's and St Chad's War Memorial in St Gabriel's Church, Brownhill Drive, Blackburn.

A booklet by G. Eastwood, M.B.E., entitled "Tell Them of Us", provides further details of the fallen commemorated on the St Gabriel's and St Chad's Memorial.

Extracts from a letter, and a postcard, sent by Richard to his sister, Polly, in 1915, can be found at Andrew Jackson's Accrington Pals website, at http://www.pals.org.uk/training2.htm and http://www.pals.org.uk/training2.htm. Please note that this link will take you out of the Ormerod Family Website.

Richard's grave in Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps
The memorial to the Accrington Pals in Sheffield Memorial Park, Serre

The remains of the trenches from which the Accrington Pals launched their assault on Serre on the morning of 1 July 1916