17929 Private Herbert Rushworth
9th(Service) Battalion
Devonshire Regiment
1st July 1916
Born in 1891 in Burnley, Lancashire.
He was baptised on 28/06/1891.
His parents were Robert Rushworth(1863-22/01/1934) and
Mary Ann Smithson(1866-1904). They married on 22/05/1890.
Herbert had 2 brothers; Fred(03/07/1896-13/07/1915) and Robert James(1900-1960).
In the 1901 census the family were recorded as living at 11 Gill Street, Burnley, Lancashire.
Herbert's father was working as a bookmaker(turf accountant).
In 1904 Herbert's mother died. His father remarried in1907 to Lily Pate(1875-1920) and Herbert's half sister Lily was born in 1909
and his half brother Percy was born in 1910.
He enlisted in Halifax and his dated of disembarkation into France was on 09/12/1915.
He was killed in action on 01/07/1916.
He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War 1914-1918 and the Allied Victory medals.
His brother Fred, served with the Royal Marine Light Infantry and died of his wounds on 13/07/1915 and is buried in the
Royal Naval Cemetery in Capuccini. Malta.
Burnley Express Wednesday 26 July 1916
Died in a Glorious Charge
Burnley Youth with the Devons
Serving with the Devons, a Burnley young man named Pte. Herbert Rushworth was killed in action in the celebrated charge by his regiment on July 1st. He was a Burnley boy, his father at present living in Burnley, but for about two years had been working at Cornholme before war broke out. This was as a weaver at Messrs. Crabtree and Farrar’s.
When he joined, he chose the Devons as so many of his chums in the Burnley Valley were going into it and one of these pals,
Pte. Fielden Omerod has written as follows;
“You will have read in the paper about the attack and probably know more about it than we that were in it.
I am glad to say that I have come through without so much as a scratch and I am well and hearty; but am sorry to say that Rushworth went under in the attack, but he died a glorious death. I saw him put to his last resting place, and he was buried with all honours.
What a glorious attack it was! Nothing could stop those men and they met their deaths fearlessly, and they are not to be pitied
but honoured. I saw about 16 of my pals buried- good lads and true; the boys I spent so many happy hours with at
Exeter and Wareham, and those faces will ever live in my memory, and no one can speak too highly or praise them too much for the glorious effort they have made towards bringing the terrible war to a speedy and successful ending. And the time is not far distant when the Kaiser and his power will be crushed for ever. Excuse paper as it once belonged to a German.”
Pte. Rushworth , who was 23 years of age, is a nephew of Sergt.- Major J.S. Whitham of the R.A.M.C. of 42 Cuthbert Street, Burnley and it is a singular fact that the uncle saw the deceased soldier just before the fatal advance occurred, being on duty in that part
of the line. Pte. Rushworth had a brother , Pte. Fred Rushworth, of the Royal Marines, killed at the Dardanelles in July last year.
Burnley Express - Wednesday 26 July 1916 -
"Rushworth - Killed in action July 1st. Pte Herbert Rushworth, Devon Regt aged 23 – from Aunt Sarah, Maggie, Hannah and
his sweetheart Edith.
His country called he answered,
The call was not in vain;
On Britain’s roll of honour
You will find the hero’s name.”
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* With thanks to Ken Turrell for providing additional information and photograph.