Daniel's Story.
Daniel Simcock was born in 1896, the son of Sarah, who married Enoch (a council roadman) and lived with her mother in Pepper Street, Mobberley. By the age of 15 Daniel was using his mother's maiden name of Bailey.
His service records no longer exist but we know he enlisted sometime after 1915 in the Cheshire Regiment as Private no. 76625 and later transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the Oxford and Buckingham Light Infantry as private no. 24815.
Daniel was killed in action on the 1st October 1918.
On that fateful day:
The war diary states:
1.10.18 CANAL du NORD area
From midnight 10th Sept until 5.30am 1st Oct enemy shelling was slight as was also machine gun fire. At zero hour (6am) our artillery opened on the initial barrage line for 6 minutes during which time the two front companies (C and D) moved out into˜worm formation, as close up to the barrage as possible so as to be ready to go forward at 6.06am. The barrage lifted and C and D companies advanced with A and B in support. They at once came under heavy machine gun fire from four distinct points and many casualties resulted. Our own shells falling short also caused casualties. The Coy advanced 400 500 yards when, owing to the extent of front to be occupied, to the losses sustained and to the fact that the left flank of the 3rd Division (co-operating on out right) had not got forward, our leading companies lost direction, with the result that the regiment covered only half its allotted frontage. About this time the support companies reinforced the front line and the whole pushed forward to the line of the railway, where they captured 3 German machine guns with their teams and several other prisoners. Further advance became impossible, as the enemy machine gun nests immediately opened very heavy fire on any movement. The senior officers present (Captain Eagle, D Company and Lt Cowell, C Company) ordered their men to dig in.
The situation remained unchanged throughout the day until 6.30pm whan an attack was made by the 24th R.F. and 2nd H.L.I. which surprised the enemy, who were evidently expecting to be attacked from another direction. The attack was successful and the Regiment became support Battalion.
Communication all day was very difficult, all ground over which orderlies had to move being in full view so they had to crawl for very long distances.
Casualties Lt L. Bartlett and 33 OR killed, 3 officers and 125 OR wounded; and one man wounded and missing.
Researched and compiled by Tony Davies