Trafford

Born during the June quarter 1898 in the Barton on Irwell R.D. - ref:
8c/696, the son of Henry & Annie Isobel Forth (nee Parkinson).

1901 Census - 10 Milly Street, Urmston.  Son - aged: 3 - born: Urmston. 
Head of household - Henry Forth - Married - aged: 35 - occ: Salesman To
Manufacturer of Wadded Quilts - born: Ripon, Yorkshire.  Also - Annie I
Forth - aged: 35 - born: Manchester.  Plus 3 elder and 1 youger siblings
and 1 domestic servant.

1911 Census - 48 Allen Street, Hulme, Manchester.  Son - aged: 13 - Scholar
- born: Urmston.  Head of household - Annie Isobel Forth - Married 27 years
- aged: 49 - occ: Charwoman - born: Manchester.  Plus - 3 siblings.  Annie
Isobel Forth's fortunes have certainly changed since 1901.   

It would appear that his father - Henry Forth had left his Urmston family
and set up home in Heywood with an Annie Elizabeth Ingleby, but listed as
Forth.

1911 Census - 139 Rochdale Road East, Heywood.  Head of household - Henry
Forth - Married - aged: 43 - occ: Salesman of Patent Cotton Trade Machinery
- born: Ripon, Yorkshire.  Also - Annie Elizabeth Forth - aged: 31 - born:
[not recorded]. Plus their daughter - Mabel Forth - aged: 3 months - born:
[not recorded].

His mother - Annie Isobel Forth, died during the March quarter 1917 in the
Chorlton R.D. - ref: 8c/1181 - aged: 53.

His father - Henry Forth, then married Annie Elizabeth Ingleby during the
June quarter 1918 in the Salford R.D. - ref: 8d/119.  Henry died in 1953 at
Littleborough - aged: 87 and Annie Elizabeth Forth in 1947 at Rochdale -
aged: 61.

The 23rd Battailion Manchester Regiment were also known as the 8th City
Pals. They were a Service Battalion serving within the 35th Division, 104th
Brigade.  The Battailion was not involved in the carnage of the first day
of the Battle of the Somme 1916, but on the 2nd July they travelled from up
in the Bethune Sector, down to Neuvillette.  Moving forward, through
Bus-lè-Artois, Lèalvillers, Bouzincourt, Aveluy Wood, Morlancourt, Happy
Valley, and Billon Wood until they reached Talus Boisé on the 19th July. 
They then moved to positions in front of Malt Horn Farm making an
unsuccessful attack there at 11.35 hrs, eventually withdrawing back to
Talus Boisé having suffered 157 casualties.

On the 23rd July, the Battalion back into the front line at Trones Wood. 
Three men were killed and seventeen wounded that day, and on the 24th two
men were killed - Percy Forth being one of them - and forty-five wounded,
with another 36 casualties on the 25th, after which the Battalion returned
to Talus Bois and later went into Divisional Reserve bivouac.

Young Percy's war was not a long one.