RATCLIFFE Edgar

Edgar Ratcliffe arrived in France on 31st March 1915. He was awarded the Victory Medal, the British War Medal and the 1915 Star.

The following information is courtesy and copyright of Frank Mason with thanks to Val Simmons and John Wrightson:
The Ratcliffe Family and the First World War
Six Ratcliffe brothers from Worcester served in the First World War. In addition, one was in the Volunteers and one possibly discharged on medical grounds. Their parents were Thomas and Jane Ratcliffe, who both came from humble backgrounds in Worcester €“ he a glover and she a dressmaker.

In 1881 they were living in the New Model Dwellings in Copenhagen Street with son Tom and daughter Jane. By 1891 they had moved across the river to St Johns in Worcester to a house in Boughton Street. Children Tom junior and Jane had been joined by Francis, Albert, Walter Harold and Edgar. Thomas was now a glove manufacturer.

By 1901 the family had moved to the countryside to a house called Newbury in Crown East, Cotheridge, Lower Broadheath, with Percy, Sydney and Leonard as new additions. Son Raymond was born in the same year. Also listed was Henry Ball, a farm labourer. The house represents a major step up from previous homes. It was a much bigger property and detached. The move to the countryside is evidence of increasing prosperity. Thomas had become successful as a glove manufacturer with premises in Birdport (now Deansway). He died of pneumonia in 1902 and left £3806 10s and 2d.

In 1911 widow Jane was living at 94 Barbourne Road with daughter Jane and sons Francis, a glover in a glove manufactory, Albert, leather dyer, Walter, gloving, Harold, leather dyer, Percy, at home, Sydney, outfitter assistant, Leonard and Raymond at school. Edgar is listed as a draper’s assistant but then crossed out. He is however listed in the same census as an assistant (drapery), a boarder at 47 High Street Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Tom junior had left home and married.

Edgar was the first to join up and the only one of the brothers to die in the war. Edgar enlisted in the British Expeditionary Force in 1914 and served in the 1/7th Battalion Territorial Force. This was stationed at Kidderminster at the outbreak of war, as part of the Gloucester & Worcester Brigade of the South Midlands Division. In August 1915 they moved to Swindon and then on to Maldon, Essex. The battalion was engaged in various actions on the Western Front.

Edgar was killed in action at Thiepval on August 21st 1916. On that day 5 men from 1/7th Battalion were killed whilst wiring. He was a sergeant. He is commemorated on Thiepval memorial, France but he is remembered on a family grave at St Johns Cemetery in Worcester where his father Thomas, brother Tom and sister Jane are all buried.

During the First World War Tom was an active member of the Volunteers. He died in a bicycle accident in Worcester in 1917 and the newspaper report of his death recorded that he had recently attended a camp at Madresfield Park. It was noted that five of his brothers served in the war. These would have been Albert, Edgar, Walter, Harold and Sydney. Leonard also served but presumably after Tom’s death. One had been discharged (probably Percy).

Records show that Albert attested (enlisted) in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) on 5th January 1916 with the service number 17273. The timing may have been influenced by the fact that the introduction of conscription had been announced. It was introduced in March that year, by which time he was with his unit in France.

At the time of his enlistment Albert was a chauffeur, living at Arundel Villa, East Comer with his wife. In the RFC he was ground crew and given his civilian occupation it’s no surprise to see that his rank was Air Mechanic and his trade was Driver. The rapid expansion of the RFC created a high demand for qualified mechanics and these were mainly recruited from civil motor and bicycle trades. Chauffeurs of the day were effectively mechanics, they maintained the vehicles they drove. He enlisted as Air Mechanic 2nd Class and was promoted to Air Mechanic 1st Class in November 1916.

A photograph of him survives. It shows him in RFC uniform, but erroneously dates his service from 1914-18.

For most if not all his time in France Albert was in 3 Brigade RFC, and based at No. 2 Air Depot at Candas, near Amiens – the central workshops and supply base for the air wing of squadrons that formed the army air force for one of the three British armies then in the field. Apparently, he suffered revolver gunshot wounds in 1917.

He left France in February 1919 and was transferred to the RAF Reserve in April 1920. He died in 1953 and his obituary in the Berrows Journal reveals that after the war he returned to Worcester and worked for Thornes garage in the Butts for about 20 years before, in what seems to be something of a career change, becoming head of the publishing department of Berrows Journal and the Evening News and Times. The obituary also gives something of an insight into the younger Albert. He was a keen footballer playing for a number of clubs, including the Authenticators, which was connected with Barbourne College. He played for Hereford and Worcester City and had trials for Aston Villa.

Bert, as he was known, was signed by Worcester City in February 1914 from Hereford, where he had a great reputation as a goal scorer. This was borne out by the fact that he scored 7 goals in 13 games in what turned out to be a very successful season for Worcester, finishing top of the table in the Birmingham League. In the following season he scored 15 goals in 29 games. In fact he scored 6 goals in the first 7 games and nobody else in the team scored until October 24th! The league closed down for four years but on its return, Bert played 3 games. He later played with Worcester rowing club and assisted Malvern British Legion.

In 1936 he was living at Kendal House 18 Rainbow Hill. He and his family continued to live there until his death in 1953. It is now Lowesmoor Veterinary Centre. It was a large detached property and is evidence of wealth. When he died he left £3987, the 1939 Register entry, taken at the outbreak of WW2 lists his profession as a press publisher. Presumably this was the source of his wealth. When widow Laura died in 1978 she left £16415.

Both Walter and Harold joined up at Hilsea in Hampshire. Walter served in the Royal Artillery from 5th August 1916 and Harold also served in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Yorkshire Regiment, from 14th October 1916.

At the time of joining up they were both living in Wilton House, Dilton Marsh, Wiltshire. They had married half-sisters, Harold married Marianne Powicke, and Walter Beatrice Powicke. As in the 1911 census described earlier, both worked in gloving. This explains why they were living in Wiltshire, Dilton Marsh is about 4 miles from Westbury which since 1848 had been a location for the well-established Wiltshire glove industry.

The Absent Voters List for Norton barracks 1919 shows that Sydney was a Corporal with the 1st/1st Worcester Yeomanry. Also listed is Leonard Ratcliffe Private, M.T.A.S.C. 188009 64. Motor Transport, Army Service Corps. This means he would have been a driver and it could be horses/mules rather than motorised vehicles.

Some of the Ratcliffe brothers remained in Worcester after the war. The 1939 directory lists Walter as living at 198 London Road, occupation leather dresser and finisher. He died in 1964 in Worcester. Harold was living at Hazelmere Morris Avenue, Claines, leather dresser. Spouses Beatrice and Marianne are listed as doing €œunpaid domestic duties€. Harold died in 1964. Francis James Ratcliffe a glove cutter living at 2 Hadley Villas Droitwich Road. Also living there was brother Leonard, an electrical engineer. Leonard had married Phyllis Ethel Powell in 1928. In 1939 she was living at 56 Broad Street Worcester with her parents. It is not clear why Leonard and Phyllis were not living together.

In 1939 Sydney was living in Grange Avenue Peterborough with his wife Elsie. He was listed as a manager and superintendent retail shop (clothing) €“ travelling. He died in 1964 in Peterborough and left £4235.

In 1939 Raymond was living in Yeovil with his wife Doris. He was a manager €œminerals and tea, malt vinegar€ He died there in 1984.

Percy died in 1923 in Pershore, Frank James 1963 in Worcester, Leonard 1981 Malvern.

Edgar Ratcliffe Photograph courtesy and copyright of Frank Morris

Edgar Ratcliffe has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on Thiepval Memorial.