During the period of the great war the following men were Commanding Officers of the 1/9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, Territorial Force.
Lieutenant-Colonel Doctor Herbert Wade
August 4, 1914 to May 22, 1915. Commanding the Battalion at the outbreak of war he oversaw their move to Egypt and their deployment at Gallipoli. He was wounded in Action shortly after arriving at Gallipoli and evacuated to Hospital in Egypt before returning to the UK.
Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Frederick Egerton, DSO
May 24, 1915 to June 9, 1915. Temporary Lt.-Col. AF Egerton (HQ Staff, 9th Army Reserve of Officers) was appointed to command the Battalion in Gallipoli and was subsequently replaced just over 2 weeks later due to ill health.
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Bottomley Nowell
June 9, 1915 to July 16, 1915. Temporary Lt-Col. RB Nowell assumed command of the Battalion when Temp. Lt-Col Egerton left.
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Worgan Falcon
July 16, 1915 to September 10, 1915. Lt.-Col. RW Falcon (late 53rd Sikhs) arrived and assumed command of the Battalion. He was placed on the sick list and invalided to hospital on September 10, 1915.
Major Roderick Livingstone Lees
September 11, 1915 to September 30, 1915. Major RL Lees (1/6th Lancs Fusiliers, TF) arrived from 125th Brigade and assumed command of the Battalion. During his short time in command he was awarded the D.S.O. and shortly after was replaced and transferred back to the 1/6th Lancs Fusiliers.
Major William James Anderson
September 30, 1915 to October 19, 1915. Major WJ Anderson (Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (West Riding)) arrived and took command of the Battalion. He was killed in action by a bomb whilst visiting the trenches on October 19, 1915.
Lieutenant-Colonel Godfrey Walker Robinson
October 19, 1915 to November, 1915. Temporary Lt-Col. GW Robinson (1/10th Battalion Manchester Regiment) assumed temporary command of the Battalion upon the death of Major WJ Anderson.
Major Leonard Clay Wilde
November 1915 to December 30, 1915. Major LC Wilde (1/10th Battalion Manchester Regiment) assumed command of the Battalion in November. He commanded the Battalion through their evacuation from Gallipoli and their short stay at Mudros at which point he returned to command the 1/10th Manchesters when Lt. Col. GW Robinson was temporarily placed in command of the 125th Infantry Brigade on December 31, 1915.
Major Arthur Edward Flynn Fawcus
December 31, 1915 to January 4, 1916. Major AEF Fawcus (1/7th Battalion Manchester Regiment) assumed command of the 1/9th Battalion on December 31, 1915 at Mudros. He was sent sick to Hospital on January 4, 1916 while the Battalion was still at Mudros. He later re-joined the 1/9th on April 8, 1916, as 2nd in Command, while the Battalion was serving in Egypt before leaving for UK leave on May 8, 1916.
Major Alexander Hargreaves Roberts
January 5, 1915 to February 8, 1916 (assumed). Major AH Roberts (1/5th Battalion East Lancs Regiment) assumed command of the battalion at Mudros after Major Fawcus became sick. There is no record of Major Roberts leaving the Battalion and so it is assumed that he retained command until Lt. Col. DH Wade returned in February.
Lieutenant-Colonel Doctor Herbert Wade
February 8, 1916 to April 27, 1917. Lt-Col. DH Wade arrived from the UK and assumed command of the Battalion while they were at Shallufa, Egypt. He commanded the Battalion throughout their deployment in Egypt in 1916 with one or two short absences when he temporarily assumed command of the 126th Brigade. During those short absences Major RB Nowell temporarily assumed command of the Battalion. He was replaced upon becoming sick when he was invalided to hospital and subsequently repatriated to England. In June he transferred to the Territorial Reserve and did not return to action. He was 51 years old at the time.
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Bottomley Nowell
April 27, 1917 to May 26, 1917. Temporary Lt-Col. RB Nowell assumed command of the Battalion upon the departure of Lt-Col. DH Wade. He was replaced one month later by an Officer of the Regular Army which by this time had become a trend for the Territorial Forces.
Lieutenant-Colonel Evan Colclough Lloyd
May 27, 1917 to March 22, 1918. Temporary Lt-Col. E. C. Lloyd (Royal Irish Regiment) assumed command of the Battalion on May 27, 1915 in Havrincourt Wood, France. He relinquished command when he was wounded in action on March 22, 1918 temporarily turning over command to Lt. Oppenheimer, the Battalion’s Intelligence Officer.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Lister Heselton
March 23, 1918 to August 13, 1918. Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. Heselton (Worcestershire Regiment) took over command of the Battalion when Lt-Col. EC Lloyd was wounded in action. In August 1918 they absorbed the 13th Manchesters (later reconstituted as the 9th battalion) upon which he relinquished command and was transferred to another active battalion.
Inter War Years
After the war, orders to reform the regiment were received in October 1920 and Lt-Col D. H. Wade was appointed Commanding Officer on October 29, 1920. But his tenure was to be fairly short-lived when he retired from the Territorial Force on January 27, 1922 having reached the age limit. Subsequent to his retirement he was granted the rank of Brevet Colonel due to his long and distinguished services.
A few weeks later the War Office confirmed the re-appointments of some old officers including Capt. George William Handforth, Capt. William Marsden Barratt and Lt. Beltran Ford Robinson.
Lieutenant-Colonel Doctor Herbert Wade
Lt-Col. D. H. Wade was commanding officer from October 29, 1920 until he retired from the Territorial Force on January 27, 1922 having reached the age limit.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Broadbent
Lt-Col. John Broadbent took over command of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, (from Lt-Col. D. H. Wade), on January 28, 1922. He remained in command for 4 years, vacating command on January 28, 1926.
Lieutenant-Colonel George William Handforth
Lt-Col. George William Handforth took over command of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, (from Lt-Col. J. Broadbent), on January 28, 1926. He remained in command for 6 years, vacating command on January 28, 1932.
Lieutenant-Colonel Beltran Ford Robinson
Lt-Col. Beltran Ford Robinson took over command of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, (from Lt-Col. G. W. Handforth), on January 28, 1932. He remained in command for 6 years, during which time he was awarded the Territorial Decoration, vacating command on January 28, 1938.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Marsden Barratt
Lt-Col. William Marsden Barratt took over command of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, (from Lt-Col. B. F. Robinson), on January 28, 1938. He was in command at the outbreak of World War 2 .