Database: Vernon John Deakin

Service number:  9838

Battalion:  18th

He was attested on the 4th September 1914 at the Albert Hall in Manchester and must have been a striking fellow as he is described in his medical notes as being 6ft 4" tall weighing 138lbs with grey eyes and brown hair. (He also had a brown mole on his right buttock!)

He was posted to 4 Platoon,"A" Company of the 18th Manchester's -the third of the "Pals Battalions".
He was appointed an unpaid Lance Corporal on 24th March 1915 and a paid Lance Corporal on 23rd September 1915.
On the 8th November 1915 he deployed to France with the Battalion.

Vernon was granted a period of 10 days leave from the 1st -10th June 1916 and returning in time for the preparations for the 1st July.
The 18th battalion took part in the assault on the village of Montauban on the 1st of July 1916 and the battle to capture Trones wood on the 9th July, the Regiment suffering many casualties.

Vernon was promoted to Acting Corporal on the 18th July.
He was killed in action on the 30th July during the Battalions attack on the village of Guillemont.
His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing of the Somme.