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  • Short Summary

    Official ceremony and reception for unknown soldier in town of Warrington.

  • Description

    Official ceremony and reception for unknown soldier (could be William Young V.C.) in town of Warrington, Cheshire.

    World War One; military; celebration. Opens with shot of several people on balcony with Union Jack draped over rail. A soldier in uniform seems to be the hero, and a man wearing a big gold pendant (Lord Mayor?) shows soldier a big white placard (illegible). Then the Lord Mayor type seems to be leading the crowd in a cheer; swinging his hat in the air for the 'hip-hip-hoorays'.

    Parade. Marching band approaching round a corner, followed by soldiers on foot and then a carriage in the back of which sit the honouree and the Mayor. More army men follow. C/U the hero, a moustached army officer, and the Lord Mayor sitting in the back of the carriage which is parked on street. Our hero looks at camera and grins. They sit talking.

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    1848.07
    Media URN:
    71220
    Group:
    Old negatives
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    1914 - 1918
    Sound:
    Silent
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Black & White
    Duration:
    00:01:13:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:09:27:00 / 01:10:40:00
    Canister:
    ON 007 H

Comments (4)

  1. Unknown user says

    I can't yet found out who this Victoria Cross winner is, but I think we can rule out the current suggested name of William Young.

    Young was badly injured in the jaw during the action for which he was awarded his VC. He died in hospital in 1916, some 9 months after his heroics, during an operation to repair it. The description of that injury would certainly not appear to fit the man in this picture.

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  2. Unknown user says

    Interesting. Thanks for doing some digging. Can anyone suggest who this is a clip of?

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  3. Unknown user says

    The article is definitely not William Young VC. He was born in Glasgow, died in Aldershot,
    is buried in Preston and his VC was posthumous.
    However, the images are Warrington. The procession is on Bridge Street and the presentation on the Town Hall steps. The soldier featured is in a uniform with ammunition pouches which is strange for this sort of ceremony.

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  4. Unknown user says

    I am certain that the soldier is Lance-Corporal Joseph Harcourt Tombs VC and Sir Peter Peacock (Mayor of Warrington) is definitely his host. The date is 31st of July 1915. My local paper, the Warrington Guardian, has been recalling headlines from the war years as part of the First World War centenary. Here is the link to the article - the last paragraph is the give-away...

    http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/first_world_war_centenary/11124343.The_first_Warrington_man_to_earn_the_Victoria_Cross___from_Melbourne/


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