l/6th
Bn Cheshire Regiment, aged 31, had close links to Millbrook, and in
particular to Stayley Mill.
In September, 1915, he wrote to Florrie Richardson in reponse to a parcel
of necessities sent to the Front by the Mill's Spinning Department.
When thanking her for the goods, he assured her that they would be distributed
amongst "my Millbrook boys first". It was later reported
that this same company would do anything for him, and would follow him
anywhere: "it is well known that the first time the Stalybridge
men went into the Trenches, Captain Kirk so manoeuvred them that the
lives of many possibly were saved whilst passing at night over a shell
swept road."
He was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs J.H. Kirk living at 'The Ashes',
Mottram Old Road: his brother, Roger, served in the Royal Fusiliers.
In 1916, he was awarded the M.C.
He had been sent out with a sergeant and Private James Eyre from Dukinfield
to patrol the German trenches:"When we got there, we entered the
trenches and went up the trench. "We had gone about 19 yards
when we came across a dug-out. Just as we were making up our minds what
to do, we met a German sentry at the other entrance and he mistook us
for some of his own men. Captain K. shone his flashlight in the sentry's
face and when he saw that we were British he took to his heels and cried
for help. While he was going for help, we went down the dug-out and
when we got to the bottom of the steps we must have caught something
that set an alarm going. Capt K. dashed the door open and found that
it was full of Germans. So we put a few out of the mess and then we
retired. When we got to the top of the step, we met the Germans coming
from all directions. Then the fun commenced in earnest. They found out
that we were only a few so they followed us and I can tell you that
we very nearly got captured. We had to fly for our lives. When I was
rushing through the wire, I got entangled in it. I had to tear my clothes
and my hands before I could get loose again."
The citation:"When leading a patrol in the enemy's trenches,
he shot 3 of the enemy in a dug-out and skilfully withdrew his patrol
without any casualties on finding that the a arm had been given."
Lieutenant F.E. Spence wrote to Mottram Road following the Battle of
Ancre on November 13 th 1916 to break the news that Capt Kirk had been
killed in that attack: he had been with him when they went over a parapet
to charge the German lines.
"This morning our battalion made an attack and your son was
unfortunately hit by a sniper whilst at the head of his company..he
was absolutely beloved by his own company who would have done anything
for him." He had died instantly.
On the same day, in the same attack, his friends Captain William Robert
Innes [27] and Sgt Charles Dean Tetlow [21] also of Stalybridge, were
killed.
He was buried at Lonsdale Cemetery, Authuile: grave X.B.4.
He is commemorated by St Paul's, where he worshipped,
Staley Mill, and on Stalybridge War Memorial.