William's Story.
Born in 1887 to John Alfred Rushton and Elizabeth. In the 1911 census he is still living with his parents at 24 Salisbury Street and his occupation is a Blacksmiths Striker.
He lived with his 2 brothers and 2 sisters, Robert and Harry and Mary and Eda.
He joined up in 1914 and was in the 1st Cheshire's. With his occupation as a blacksmiths striker he would have been an ideal physique for a solider. He went to France on the 19th December 1914.
Whilst in France he wrote the following letter to his mother
"I was glad to get the parcel. We had been without 'smokes' for two days. We don't get many ' smokes ' as we used to . . . You would have laughed if you had have seen us in the trenches last Saturday and Sunday. We had a chip potato shop. Chips, all hot and by jingo they were good. We did a roaring trade. Of course we found the potatoes in a field and the other things in an empty house. You would laugh at some of the feeds we have. And the strangest part about it is that we never take any notice of the German shells bursting and the bullets flying over our heads. The weather is picking up grand now and we don't have it so cold. I'm glad all are well at home. I'm just the same, in the pink as usual."
The following article appeared in the Runcorn Guardian on the 14th May 1915.
"William Rushton belonged to a family of loyal Methodists that has given many scholars to our school, and he was an attendant from his earliest years until his work took him away from the town. However, he was not forgotten and his name appears on our Roll of Honour. He appreciated this in acknowledging the receipt of a gift sent by the girls working class which came to hand he says, just as he was going to the trenches for the first time. In a later letter, he expresses his intention to rejoin the school when he comes home, and we regret he was killed by a snipers bullet whilst fighting at Hill 60 ending a bright young life at the age of 28 on May 7th. His comrades gave a touching testimony to his courage and cheerfulness under all circumstances, stating he was ever ready to volunteer for the most dangerous duty"
William was remembered on a marble tablet that was unveiled at Brunswick Church in 1920.
Hill 60 is near Sanctury Wood and the Cheshire's did indeed have a tough time fighting in that area. William apprears to have been a casualty from that action. He has no known grave.
Compiled by Graeme Ainsworth