Fred Patchett was born in 1896 in Bradford the son of Albert and Alice, nee Sharp. By 1911 the family were living at 41 Institute Road. Fred, at 15 years of age, was a twister in worsted. In August 1914 Fred enlisted in Halifax in the West Riding Regiment as Private 10884. His attestation papers show that he was 18 years and 8 months old and that he was an apprentice (not bound) in the boot repairing trade. The Bradford Roll of Honour shows that Fred further enlisted on the 17th of August 1915 as Private 39021 in the 32nd Company of the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). The 32nd Company had already sailed for Egypt in July 1915 but at some point Fred had joined them and on 14 January 1916, the Shipley Times & Express published the following article: IN a letter which Pte Fred Patchett of Eccleshill dispatched from the Dardanelles on December 6th, one

gets a good idea of what our soldiers had to contend with in the fight against the Turks. Pte Patchett is attached to the machine gu section of the 8th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regt. In his letter he said: “When one is faced with things like we have out here it makes one’s thoughts to the Unseen. “Many a time when I have been on duty behind my little gun I have thought differently to what I did at home. My testament which I got in England is always handy and is often read. “There are men with us here who were in France at the beginning of the war and went through last winter’s campaign and they have said they would rather do four weeks in France than four days

where they are now. “But those who are acquainted with this part of the world tell us that what we have experienced this last few days will be nothing to what we shall have to go through if we remain here until the monsoon begins. “Our division has been practically under fire since we landed on Aug 6th and I have no desire to be in at another such landing. “The biggest day we have had out here was on August 21st and that is spoken of here as the biggest battle since Inkerman. I was covering the advance with my machine gun and we could see our poor lads falling just like skittles but the Turks go plenty to go on with when they came out of their trenches. “They shelled our guns but I am

thankful to say, I came through all right.” Fred’s company were brought back to France landing in July 1916 and by the 27th were in the front line on the Somme where Fred took part in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette and the Battle of Thiepval. His unit were also involved in the Operations on the Ancre 11th January to the 13th of March 1917 and later that year in the Battles of Ypres when his company fought in the Battle of Langemarck from the 16th to the 18th of August. Fred was killed in action on the 27th of August 1917 at the age of 21 years. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial. Fred left his affects to his father Albert who received £10.7.6d on the 16th of January 1918 and a War Gratuity of £13.10.0d on the 5th of November 1919.

. Researched and written by Jean Britteon, to whom many thanks