Private George Holt
1741 1/5th East Lancashire Regiment
Died of Wounds 11th June 1915, aged 22
Lived at 7 Milner Street
Buried in Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Turkey
St Peters Memorial, Burnley
Pickup Croft Memorial
Burnley Express Poem - 6/3/1915

George Holt was born at Burnley the eldest son of Edward and Ellen Holt of 7 Milner Street (off Elm Street). He enlisted in Burnley as Private 1741 in the 1st/5th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment. He died of wounds on Friday, 11th June 1915 aged 22 in the Dardenelles and is buried in grave B 91 Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Turkey.

The Burnley Express of June 30 1915 reported that:-

“He was a St. Peter’s young man who attended the Sunday School at Pickup Croft. He joined the Territorials in June 1914 and celebrated his 22nd birthday in Egypt about Christmas time. Before being called up for service he had been working at Messrs Keighley’s Foundry.

The War diary of the 1st/5th Battalion reported:-

“11th June 1915. 1pm. Under orders to relieve 1st/5th and 1st/7th Lancashire Fusiliers. 300 men to take up position in the firing line. 150 men in the second line and the remainder in the redoubt line. Battalion Headquarters at Ardwick Green trench.
7pm began relief ‘C’ company made up to 300 strong by ‘D’ company in firing line which which joins the Turkish trench at point H11. Remainder of the Battalion in the Redoubt line.
11.40 Battalion reported in position. 2 men killed.
The 2 men killed on 11th June were George Holt and Private 1974 Walter Moore who
was also born and enlisted in Burnley and lived at 126 New Hall Street.
Lancashire Landing Cemetery stands on a small ridge overlooking ‘W’ Beach. On 25th April 1915 the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers landed at ‘W’ at Beach under very severe fire and cut their way through wire entanglements and trenches to the edge of the cliff. They and other battalions of the 88th Brigade established themselves on the hills nearby. The beach became known as Lancashire Landing. There are 1235 Commonwealth servicemen commemorated in this cemetery.

Notes
George Holt was admitted to St Peter’s Infant School on 4/3/97. His date of birth was 11/12/92. His father was Edward Holt and he lived at Hill Top.
George Holt was admitted to St Peter’s Mixed Department School on 4/8/01. His date of birth was 11/12/92. His father was Edward Holt and he lived at Hill Top.

1901 Census – 3 Hill Top Passage – Edward Holt (35) mill boiler fireman, Helen (36), Ada (12), George (8), Hannah (6), Herbert 1.

George was also commemorated on the Pickup Croft Sunday School Memorial which was dedicated on 16th September 1922. Pickup Croft was a mission church of St Peter’s Parish and was also used as an Infant School.