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Johnston – Died of wounds in France. Drummer David Johnston, Border Regiment, second son of William and Elizabeth Johnston, 53 Granville Road, Carlisle, aged 32 years.
—The Cumberland News, Published date unknown.
The Earl of Lonsdale on Thursday last week inspected the Lonsdale Battalion on Salisbury Plain. The Battalion were drawn up in [illegible], the men presenting a very [illegible] appearance. After a thorough inspection of each platoon, the buglers, signallers, stretcher bearers, pioneers[?], machine gun section, and 1st line [illegible] three sides of a square were formed.
The Earl of Lonsdale then said - Officers, non-commissioned officers and men - I came down here to-day to wish you very good luck on your approaching departure. It is a very great pleasure, and I am proud to be here as the nominal [illegible] of this Battalion to congratulate you, sir, on what has been produced, and to express not only on behalf myself but the whole of your fellow countrymen, whom I represent, our great admiration of the extraordinary good conduct that has been presented by the Battalion. When I was at Carlisle I had the pleasure of congratulating you on your conduct, not only on your conduct as men but on the interest you had taken in your particular work, and on the energy displayed. I can only say now that it is with the greatest possible pleasure and pride that I again congratulate you in exactly the same terms I congratulated you then. You have set an example to others, and so[?] county can be more proud of its production than the counties from which you came. I am sure I am only echoing the words of every one of us in these counties in expressing to Colonel Machell our deep admiration for the way he has worked, the trouble he has taken and the interest he has shown in the Battalion. Colonel Machell is a man of vast experience and might easily[?] [illegible] higher commands had he so wished. He belongs to the county, he is interested in the men, he has put his whole heart and soul into the men. He wants to remain with you. You could not have as your Colonel anyone who has your interests as much at heart individually and collectively. I address his as Captain Machell because he is known to us in the North, and admired and respected by us as Captain Machell. Here he is Colonel Machell, and I shall be very much surprised when he returns to the North if we don't say "the grand old Colonel" and "the dear old Captain." These are the feelings in the North I am perfectly certain. I take this opportunity of wishing you every possible good luck. I know well enough that every individual, everyone of you is going to do his best and that you will do your best, and I am perfectly certain the Battalion will bring back credit to the regiment, and that you will not only be a credit in the regiment, but a credit to every individual in it and to the counties from which it comes. None will be more proud than myself. I wish you every possible luck and every happiness and health to enjoy it. May you return in the best of health and with the expressions of the high authorities on the individual valour shown by each of you. I wish you the best of luck when abroad. Again, I wish you health and happiness and I wish you very, very much God's blessing. I thank you.
Colonel Machell replied: My Lord - on behalf of the Lonsdale Battalion, which is so proud to bear your name, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, from the bottom of the heart of everyone of us, for your great kindness in coming here today, for the kind things you have said, and for the extraordinary interest you have taken in us from the day we started, now about fourtneen months ago. In my experience I have always found that if a man wants to get anything he has got to do two things. He must make up his mind what he is going for and then go straight for it. We are out to do our job and our duty. That is what we started for and what we are going to finish with. We are going to stick to it until we have done our duty, and when the Battalion comes home I can only express the hope that your Lordship will be satisfied. We shall do our best to jusitfy your great kindness and the confidence you have rep[illegible] in us. That we shall win your good opinion and that your Lordship will be satisfied is my earnest hope, and I venture to think it will be fulfilled because everyone in this Battalion means business, and when everyone sets out to work [illegible] [illegible] thing he is going to do it. We are going to try to do our duty, and we want your Lordship to be satisfied.
Colonel Machell then called for cheers for Lord Lonsdale which were given with greatest enthusiasm. The Battalion then marched past. After the parade Lord Lonsdale visited a hut of each company, the dining hall, [illegible] [illegible] and eventually lunched with the officers in the officers' mess. The Earl was pleased[?] with the officers, and left for Salisbury in the afternoon.—The Cumberland News, Published November 1915.
Pillans – Killed in action, on the 3 July. Private John W. Pillans, Border Regiment, beloved husband of Thomasina Pillans, 2 Hodgson's Court, Carlisle.
—The Cumberland News, Published 29 July, 1916.
Top Row (left to right)
- Lance-Corporal W.F. Smith, Royal Fusiliers, of Market Place, Brampton, Killed.
- Private A. Denholm, Border Regiment, of Skiddaw View, Station Road, Wigton, Missing.
- Private Jack Chambers, Highland Light Infantry, of Mrgaret Street, Carlisle, Died of Wounds.
Middle Row
- Private J. Hodgson, Border Regiment, of St. Stephen's Street, Carlisle, Missing.
- Lance-Corporal Robert Hewitt, Border Regiment, of Bedford Square, Aspatria, Killed.
- Lance-Corporal Thomas Hewitt, Border Regiment, of Bedford Square, Aspatria, Killed.
Bottom Row
- Lance-Corporal I. J. Brough, Border Regiment, of Carlisle, Died of Wounds.
- Corporal Douglas Thompson, Border Regiment, of John Street, Caldewgate, Carlisle, Missing.
- Private J. J. Wright, Border Regiment, of Clifton Street, Carlisle, Killed.
- Private David James, of Edentown, Carlisle, Twice Wounded.
—The Cumberland News, 1917.
Top Row (left to right)
- Sergeant J. Isles, Border Regiment, of Fusehill Street, Carlisle, Missing.
- Private W. B. Dobson, Border Regiment, of Lipwood House, Haydon Bridge, formerly of Walton, Missing.
- Private John Johnston, Northumberland Fusiliers, of Castle Carrock, Missing.
- Private J. Hodgson, Black Watch, of Annetwell Street, Carlisle, wounded.
Bottom Row
- Lance-Corporal R. Nixon, Border Regiment, of Quarry Lodge, Armathwaite, Missing.
- Private Thomas Norman, Border Regiment, of Harold Street, Carlisle, Missing.
- Private J. D. Peat, Border Regiment, of Collingwodd Street, carlisle, Missing.
- Lance-Corporal Gilbert Messenger, Border Regiment, of Gill Head, Raughtonhead, Killed.
—The Cumberland News, 1917.