Private Frank Pettitt, 15914,York and Lancaster Regiment, 10th Bn.

South Yorkshire Times 8th Dec 1917
 with thanks to the Barnsley Archives

Service Details:
Private Frank Pettitt, 15914,York and Lancaster Regiment 10th Bn. Died of wounds 12th October 1917, Age 33.

Biography:
Frank was born at Handsworth near Sheffield in August 1884. He was the eldest son of Elizabeth and John Pettitt. The family relocated to Hawson Street at Wombwell in the 1890s and a few years later Frank began working at the nearby Cortonwood colliery.  Sadly out of Frank's twelve siblings six died in childhood and his mother also passed away in 1908. But that wasn't to be the end of the families heartache, both Frank and his younger brother Henry would die during the First World War.

Frank enlisted on the 12th October 1914 and joined the 10th Battalion of the York and Lancaster, his neighbour John Haywood would later join the same regiment. On the 12th October 1917 the Battle of Passchendaele took place. Frank's regiment was one of many which took part in the action that day. The army's objective was to break through the German defenses and take Passchendaele Ridge, however, the operation would ultimately fail on this attempt and would cost Frank his life in the process. One of his comrades Sec. Lieut. H. D. Hughes wrote to his family about the circumstances of his death:

"It is with great sorrow that I heard of the death of your brother Frank. I was not with him at the time, but I know he was at his post and doing his duty, and his loss is a great blow to me. He was liked by us all he was buried near Jack (John) Haywood, another of our men from your street, in a cemetery near here. Words always seem useless in a case like this, but I wanted to tell you how we miss him."

The South Yorkshire Times

8th Dec, 1917

Frank was buried at Larch Wood cemetery 2.5 miles south east of Ypres city centre in West Belgium. His neighbour John Haywood died of wounds only three days after Frank and was buried at Bedford House cemetery. Frank was posthumously awarded the British War and Victory medal, and because he had enlisted before conscription he also qualified for the 1914-15 Star. After the war the government commissioned a commemorative plaque known as the 'Death Penny' to be cast in bronze and given to the families of all those who died serving. Frank's plaque was discovered at scrapyard near Goldthorpe in 2015 and has been displayed at several local history exhibition since it's rescue.

Frank Pettitt's Death Penny
Found at Wallis Metals in 2015

Grave:
Larchwood Railway cutting cemetery, Plot V. A. 19, Belgium

Memorials:
Cortonwood War Memorial, Brampton Brierlow, S75 0TU
Wombwell war memorial, Park Street, S73 0HS

Additional Details:
This piece was written in part with information kindly supplied by, and with thanks to the Wombwell Heritage Group.




Sources__________________________________________
South Yorkshire Times 8th Dec 1917
Barnsley Chronicle 4th Sept. 2015 & 11th September 2015
1891, 1901 and 1911 Census
Cwgc.org - Casualty details for F. Pettitt
F. Pettitt's Service record, Soldier's effects & Medal index card
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele

Fitter Staff-Sergt. Bernard Washington Kilner, 52200, Royal Field Artillery

Roy Kilner's grave in Wombwell Cemetery

Service Details:
Fitter Staff Sergeant Bernard Washington Kilner, MSM, 52200, Royal Field Artillery 51st Bde. Killed in Action 18th October 1917, Age 28.

Biography:
Bernard Washington Kilner came from a well known family of Yorkshire sports men. His uncle was the former Yorkshire country cricketer, Irving Washington, and all of Bernard's brothers played cricket at some level, two of them professionally, but it was probably his younger brother Roy Kilner who would be considered the star of the family, Roy would play nine test matches for England before his own untimely death in 1928.

Bernard was born at Wombwell on the 16th July 1889 and was the oldest son of  Seth and Mary Alice Kilner. Later in life his parents ran the Half Way House Hotel at Wombwell. As a youth he attended the Church Lad's brigade at nearby St. Mary's church. In his early twenties Bernard married Edith Annie Booker, daughter of a local confectioner and sister of fellow soldier, Walter Booker. Together they had one son named Cyril, who was born 5th September 1910. Upon leaving school Bernard had found work as a fitter at Mitchell Main Colliery, he later left Mitchells' and took up a similar post at Treeton Colliery near Rotherham.

Memorial to Bernard Kilner
On Roy Kilner's grave

On the 4th January 1915 Bernard enlisted in the the Royal Field Artillery at Woolwich,  where he was awarded the rank of Fitter Staff Sergeant after passing all the required trade tests. According to several local newspaper articles of the time, Bernard had served "Through most of the major engagements there, and up to his death had come through it without mishap" In July 1916 Bernard took part in the Battle of the Somme, and was awarded the M.S.M only a few months prior to his death. The Battle of Passchendaele took place in West Belgium on 12th October 1917, six days Bernard was killed in action. He had been stationed near Ypres at the time. His commanding officer Captain R. F. Balmain wrote to his family explaining the circumstances of his death:
"Staff Sergt Kilner had returned to us a few days previous to this most terrible occurrence, and had set out from H.Q to inspect the guns. As he was approaching one of the batteries, he, along with an orderly, was hit by a shell, and died a few minutes afterwards, and did not regain consciousness and owing to this, thank God he could not have suffered. His remains were buried in the military cemetery at St. Julien, about 6 miles from Ypres, on 19th October. Staff sergeant  Kilner's death came as a great blow to us all. He had been with the Brigade such a long time, and had endeared himself on account of his reliability and bravery."

Church Lads' Brigade Memorial
St. Mary's Church, Wombwell.

Bernard's brothers Roy, Norman and Colin who were also serving, all survived the war. Though Roy was wounded on the Somme, he resumed playing cricket again once the conflict was over. Bernard was interred at St. Julien Dressing Station cemetery in Belgium.

Grave:
St. Julien Dressing Station cemetery, Plot I. C. 5, Ypres, Belgium.

Memorials:
Wombwell war memorial, Park Street, S73 0HS
Church Lads Brigade memorial, St. Mary's Church, Wombwell, S73 0DQ.

Additional Details:
There is a dedication to Bernard on his brother, Roy Kilner's grave in Wombwell cemetery.

Sources_____________________________
1901 census & 1911 census
De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour
Cwgc.org - Casualty Details for B. Kilner
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Kilner
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele
Barnsley Chronicle - 23rd Jan 1915, April 10th 1915, June 9th 1917, 11th Nov 1917, 1st Dec. 1917 and June 29th 1918

Private Tom Drudy, 15918, Coldstream Guards 2nd Bn.

South Yorkshire Times - 7th Oct. 1917
Image with thanks to the Barnsley Archives

Service Details:
Private. Tom Drudy, 15918, Coldstream Guards 2nd Bn.
Killed in Action  31st July 1917, Age 20/21.

Biography:
Tom Drudy was one of  Passchendaele's first casualties; The 3 month campaign, which is also referred to as the 3rd battle of Ypres, took place in West Belgium between 31st July and 10th November 1917. The main aim of the offensive was to gain allied control of the area surrounding the Belgian city of Ypres.  At the time Tom was a 21 year old private with the 2nd Cold Stream Guards and a former miner at Wombwell Main Colliery. As the offensive commenced Tom was stationed not far from a railway junction, 5 miles east of Passchendaele. His regiment was part of the Guards Division. When the assault against the German's began at 3.50am on 31st July 1917 it was his brigade's job to support the other regiments in the division, 5 hours later at 8.50am Tom's battalion moved forward in order to take their own objectives, but enemy machine gun fire from the direction of the River Steenbeek caused them to fall 80 yards short of their target. It was during the advance that Tom most likely lost his life. The days following the battle were mired by torrential rain, which halted allied progress and turned the already churned and crater ridden ground into a boggy mire, this made it impossible to recover and identify the bodies of the fallen. Like so many other's that day Tom's remains were claimed by the mud of West Belgium, unable to receive a proper burial Tom is remembered on the Menin Gate instead. His wife, Doris, would not receive notification of his death until September, When it was official announced in The Barnsley Chronicle.

The Menin Gate Image from Wikipedia

Tom was the second son and third child of William and Mary Drudy, a coal miner and riper packer respectively, the family lived at 22 Main Street, Wombwell. Tom enlisted in April 1915, and on 15th September 1916, almost 18 months in to his service, he was wounded in the hand and thigh. Subsequently, Tom was sent back to England to recover and he spent some time convalescing at Whalley Hospital in Lancaster, before returning to join his regiment overseas. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star as well as the British War and Victory Medals.

Grave:
No known grave

Memorials:
Menin Gate, panel 11. Ypres, Belgium
Wombwell War Memorial, Park Street, S73 0HS.

Sources_____________________________________
Barnsley Chronicle: 30th Sept. 1916, 8th Sept. 1917 and 28th Oct. 1916
South Yorkshire Times 7th Oct. 1917.
Cwgc.com - casuality details for Tom Drudy
1911 Census, Soldiers' Who Died in the Great War and Register of Soldier effects