Flookburgh Men 4

*John Prickett is probably 13420, Lance Serjeant John Henry Prickett, 11th Battalion, Border Regiment, killed 18/11/16. Son of Mrs. A. Prickett, Glasgow Street, Barrow-in-Furness and also on Barrow War Memorial but Soldiers Died lists his birthplace as Levens.

He is buried in Grave V B 3 at Serre Road Cemetery No1.

*Thanks to Andy Moss for the information.

Barker Rodgerson. This casualty is actually Joseph Barker Rogerson, 24170 2/5th Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt.) Died 28 September 1918.

The 2/5th Bn. King's Own Territorials were formed at Lancaster in September 1914, but did not go to France until February 1917. When Barker died, they were involved in the Battle of the Scarpe. Cowper's History (Vol III, pps.233-234) describes fierce fighting at the time of Pte. Rogerson's death concluding with, "By 11am on the 30th the battalion established posts in the Marcoing support line where the Naval Division passed through to take over the pursuit. The King's Own, withdrawn for 24 hours to reorganise in a sunken road, had suffered casualties of two officers killed, one wounded and one missing, twenty-one other ranks killed, a hundred and forty-two wounded and four missing."

I must thank Gavin Bassie for finally identifying this soldier and also for the information that his next of kin was his father, Joseph Rogerson of Mill Yard, Cark, but by the time Joseph Barker's medals were sent he was, sadly, in Ulverston Workhouse.

He is commemorated at the Vis en Artois Memorial, Panel 3

Thomas Rodgerson Man. Regt. on the Memorial,was not a member of that regiment, but a Private, 37856, in the 2nd/6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. He was killed in action on 9th October 1917 when 66th Division attacked toward Passchendaele with the infamous "Marsh Bottom" to its left. Some patrols even reached the outskirts of the village, even though conditions on the ground were atrocious.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium. Panel 55 to 60 and 163A.

Pte. Rodgerson's parents were Joseph and Agnes Rodgerson of Cark and his wife was Elizabeth Rodgerson, Spring Water Cottage, Whitefield, Manchester.

He was a member of the Lewis Gun section of his battalion and was aged 41, which does show how short of young men the British Army was becoming.

Thomas Rodgerson. Private, 30131, 8th Bn., King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt.) Killed in action on 9th April 1917. Age 26.

He was the son of James and Mary Alice Rodgerson, Park View Cottage, Holker and is commemorated in Bay 2 of the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

Born in 1893, at Reake, a rather isolated spot near the sea a mile or so from Holker Hall, in 1901 the family lived at Quarry Flat, Holker, his father was a "horseman. Ag. Horse for Farm". The 1911 census tells us that Thomas' mother was a widow and he and his brother James were "herdsmen", James adding "at Stud Farm" to his entry.

April 9th 1917 was Easter Monday, the opening day of the Battle of Arras.

John Thomas Smith Private, 8080. 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. Killed in action on 26th August 1914. Commemorated on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France.

John Smith was a regular soldier at the outbreak of war, one of the famous "Old Contemptibles" who gave the Kaiser's army such a shock at the Battles of Mons and, where John died, Le Cateau. He was the first Cartmel man to be killed in The Great War.

According to "Soldiers Died in The Great War" he was born and enlisted in Barrow, but his place of residence is given as Cark-in-Cartmel.

Information concerning John Tomlinson would be most welcome.

Photographs courtesy of Stuart Hartley.

Edward Haslam Tyson 201202, Private, No. 17 Coy. "F" Bn.Tank Corps, killed at Fontaine-Notre Dame, Cambrai on 27/11/17. There is no mention of his middle name on the CWGC site but Soldiers Died does list his place of birth as Cark-in-Cartmel. He is also commemorated on Barrow War Memorial as E. H. Tyson. I have discovered from the 1911 Census that he was born in 1898, the son of Benjamin, a farm horseman and Sarah Agnes Tyson. The family, parents and seven brothers and sisters, lived at Mill Yard, Cark (number 65 in 1901). He was still at school at the time of the census.

Commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Panel 13.

A third party is researching and forwarded this report to Stuart Hartley. 

Written report by Lt. James Percy Wetenhall, tank commander, on his return from captivity in 1919.

Tank No. F27 left the section starting point, S.W. of Bourlon Wood, under my command at 6:20 a.m. on the 27th Nov. 1917 under artillery fire. Heavy machine gun and artillery fire were encountered all the time, and both grew more intense as the village was approached. After sustaining two direct hits, one in radiator and one in secondary gears, at 8:20 a.m. approximately a third set the tank on fire and killed three of the crew – Cpl. J. Griffiths, Gnr. E. Tyson & T. Roberts and wounding seriously Gnr. H. Cheshire, C.A. Harris; T. Benson – slightly - Gnr. W.J. Smith. I did not notice my own wounds at the time, and think some may have been sustained outside the tank. Orders were given to evacuate tank owing to fire, and within one minute of evacuation I was taken prisoner with Gnr. W.J. Smith while attempting to escape over wire in which my tank had stopped.

Gnrs. Harris & Tyson fought their guns with great gallantry for 30 minutes after being wounded.

P. Wetenhall  2Lt 

Edward's tank, according to this useful website https://sites.google.com/site/landships/home/narratives/1917/cambrainarratives/16-and-17-companies-27-november-1917  was named "Fighting Mac II". There are also more details, photographs and maps linked from this site.

More information on the Tyson family.

Thanks to Andy Moss for the initial information.

James Townson, Private, 19427. 6th Bn., King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt.). Killed in action, 9 April 1916.

6th King's Own was sent to Mesopotamia (Iraq) as part of the force despatched to relieve General Townshend's force beseiged at Kut-al-Amara. The troops landed at Basra and re-embarked in early March, to be transported up the River Tigris to Wadi Camp.

On the night of 8/9th April 6/King's Own with 6/Loyals, 8/Royal Welsh Fusiliers and 5/Wiltshires advanced and charged the Turkish trenches. The objectives were taken, the Turks fell back 400yds and dug in.The 13th Division took 1800 casualties. The King's Own suffered 13 killed, 93 wounded and 96 missing.

The local "Cartmel and Lower Holker Almanac" gives the location of his death as "Sinnia-i-yat".

Pte. Townson was born and enlisted in Ulverston but lived with his widowed mother, at High Row, Cark, he was working as a gardener in 1911. He is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. Panel 7

Frank Webster. Private, 2903. 1st/4th Battalion, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt.) was killed in action on 11th September 1916.

The King's Own entered front line trenches in Delville Wood on the 10th of Septlember and were ordered to carry out a surprise attack on the German trench known as "Hop Alley" and others to the west of Delville Wood at 5:15 am on the 11th. The attack failed due to extreme tiredness of the men and heavy enemy machine gun and rifle fire. The troops retreated and were under heavy shellfire for the remainder of the day, taking heavy casualties.

Local sources state that Frank, "was killed by a shell while leaving the trenches." He is buried not far from where he fell, at Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, Grave XV L.6.

Born in Flookburgh, he was only 21 when he died, his mother was Sarah Webster of 119, Rothsay Road, Blackpool.

Joseph Waite. Private, 70779. 1st/9th Bn., Durham Light Infantry. Born at Barrow-in-Furness he originally enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers at Lancaster (No: 33122). He was killed in action on 28th October 1917, another victim of the horror of Passchendaele. Private Waite lived at Cark and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium, Panel 128 to 131 and 162 and 162A.