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Long Service

Barwicker No. 115
September 2014


My maternal grandfather, Frederick Williams, was born in March 1886 in South Wales. Initially I was surprised to find that he had enlisted, under age, in the 3rd Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment but I later discovered that his parents had brought their family of 5 children to Leeds sometime before the 1901 census, presumably in search of work. Frederick's Army Service papers were among those destroyed by enemy action in World War Two so his actual date of enlistment remains a mystery but early in February 1902, still 15 years old, he was awarded "The Queen's Mediterranean Medal". This was similar to the South Africa medal but was awarded to men garrisoned in either Gibraltar or Malta and engaged in guarding Boer prisoners of war.

From the regiment's records and my grandfather's own stories we know that he served until about 1908, mostly in India and what is now Pakistan. He then left the army and returned to Leeds, working for periods in the West Riding Police and at Yorkshire Copper Works in Stourton.

Having been in the Regular Army he was still on the reserve when war was declared in 1914 and he was called back to the Colours, this time "The Duke of Wellington's Regiment." He reported to the Regimental Depot in Halifax and was posted to the 2nd Battalion based in Dublin, arriving there on 7th August.

After a few days' training the Battalion embarked on the S.S. Gloucestershire by around 6 pm on the 13th and sailed in the early hours of the 14th, arriving at Le Havre in the afternoon of the 15th. They later travelled by train to Belgium and were billeted for a few days at Marquilles before joining battle at Dours on the 23rd when the Battalion suffered its first casualties. The following day saw the Battle of Mons, where 13 were killed. 56 wounded and 244 missing. The Battalion retired to Le Cateau, where there was a further battle the next day with more casualties.

During September the Battalion served in several places in Belgium in very wet weather receiving several drafts of both officers and other ranks as replacements for those lost earlier.

Later in 1914 Frederick was promoted to Acting Corporal on 27th September, to Lance Sergeant the next day and Acting Sergeant on 27th October due to further losses suffered. By early November the Battalion was at Ypres, where it was to remain for most of the rest of the War. However on 8th November Frederick was injured and on the 17th was evacuated to the United Kingdom, possibly to Brighton initially.

This detailed information and much more was supplied by the Archivist at the Regimental Headquarters in Halifax. Frederick's medals being:-

The Queen's Mediterranean Medal Silver The 1914 Star with Mons Clasp 5th August to 22nd November 1914 Bronze
British War Medal 1914-1920 Silver
Victory Medal Yellow Bronze
The Defence Medal 1945 (Home Guard) Cupro Nickel


After recovery from his injury Frederick did not return to active duty but is understood to have been involved in both recruitment and training in Leeds achieving CSM rank. He later worked for the Post Office in Leeds and served as a Sergeant in the Home Guard during World War Two. He was proud to be a member of both the Old Contemptibles and the British Legion and on at least one occasion laid a wreath at the Leeds Cenotaph on Remembrance Day on their behalf.

The Cenotaph in those days was in City Square close to what later was the Majestic Cinema. It was probably while he was convalescing that he received his Christmas Gift from Princess Mary, a brass "tin" box containing tobacco, confectionery, a Christmas Card and a picture of Princess Mary, the daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. Initially intended as a gift for those engaged in fighting either abroad or at sea, about 426,000, so much money was raised that the eligibility for the gift was widened to include all those "wearing the uniform", well over 2\12 million. Frederick's tin must be unusual in that it still contains both cigarettes and loose tobacco. Frederick's medals and the tobacco tin are still held by the family.



PETER STYLES


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