Pte 38868 Stanley Skillicorn

• Age: 23
• From: Douglas I.O.M
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 3rd December 1917
• Commemorated at: Bedford House Cem Encl 4
  Panel Ref: VI.D.14

Stanley Skillicorn was born on 14th October 1893 at Douglas, Isle of Man, the son of Edward George and his wife Emma (nee Cain). He was baptised at St Thomas' Church, Douglas on 06th May 1894. His parents married at Kirk Braddan, Isle of Man on 11th October 1884.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 35 Tynwald Street, Douglas, Isle of Man. His father, Edward George, aged 39 and born in 1862 is a house painter who was born in Douglas as was his wife and children. Stanley's mother Emma is aged 38, born 1863 no occupation. They have eight children, Edward aged 16, born 1885 a chemist messenger, Emma aged 13, born 1888, Elizabeth aged 12, born 1889, Florence aged 11, born 1890, Walter aged 9, born 1892, Stanley aged 8, born 1893, Richard aged 4, born 1897 and Mona aged 2, born 1899.

His father died in 1906.

The 1911 census finds Stanley aged 16, and employed as a dyer's errand boy living at 16 Allan Street, Douglas with his widowed mother, Emma, now 47 years of age and five siblings who are listed as: Edward John a 26 year old coach painter, Elizabeth May aged 21, Walter Henry, aged 18 and a butcher's assistant, Richard aged 14 and Mona aged 12 who is at school.

In 1913 Stanley participated in the annual Isle of Man “Marathon”, from Peel football ground across the island to the Palace, Douglas, a distance of about 20 km. 

Stanley enlisted in Seaforth, Liverpool originally joining the 4th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. Following a transfer after he was wounded he was serving in the 17th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 38868 when he was killed in action on the 03^rd December 1917.

Stanley now rests at Bedford House Cemetery Enclosure 4, in Belgium.

Zillebeke village and most of the commune were in the hands of Commonwealth forces for the greater part of the First World War, but the number of cemeteries in the neighbourhood bears witness to the fierce fighting in the vicinity from 1914 to 1918.

Bedford House, sometimes known as Woodcote House, were the names given by the Army to the Chateau Rosendal, a country house in a small wooded park with moats. Although it never fell into German hands, the house and the trees were gradually destroyed by shell fire. It was used by field ambulances and as the headquarters of brigades and other fighting units, and charcoal pits were dug there from October 1917.

In time, the property became largely covered by small cemeteries; five enclosures existed at the date of the Armistice, but the graves from No.1 were then removed to White House Cemetery, St. Jean, and those from No.5 to Aeroplane Cemetery, Ypres.

ENCLOSURE No.2 was begun in December 1915, and used until October 1918. After the Armistice, 437 graves were added, all but four of which came from the Ecole de Bienfaisance and Asylum British Cemeteries, both at Ypres.

ENCLOSURE No.3, the smallest, was used from February 1915 to December 1916; the burials made in August-October 1915 were largely carried out by the 17th Division.

ENCLOSURE No.4, the largest, was used from June 1916 to February 1918, largely by the 47th (London) Division, and after the Armistice it was enlarged when 3,324 graves were brought in from other burial grounds and from the battlefields of the Ypres Salient. Almost two-thirds of the graves are unidentified.

ENCLOSURE No.6 was made in the 1930s from the graves that were continuing to be found on the battlefield of the Ypres Salient. This enclosure also contains Second World War burials, all of them soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force, who died in the defence of the Ypres-Comines canal and railway at the end of May 1940. The canal lies on high ground on the west side of the cemetery.

Commonwealth casualties buried in the following smaller cemeteries were either concentrated into Bedford House Cemetery after the war or if lost, are now commemorated in Bedford House Cemetery:-

ASYLUM BRITISH CEMETERY, YPRES, was established in the grounds of a psychiatric hospital (the Hospice du Sacre Coeur) a little West of the railway station, between the Poperinghe road and the railway. It was used by Field Ambulances and fighting units from February 1915, to November 1917, and it contained the graves of 265 soldiers from the United Kingdom, nine from Canada, seven from Australia and two of the British West Indies Regiment.

BOESINGHE FRENCH CEMETERY No.2, a little South of Bard Cottage, contained the grave of one soldier from Canada.

DROOGENBROODHOEK GERMAN CEMETERY, MOORSLEDE, contained the graves of two United Kingdom soldiers who fell in October 1914.

ECOLE DE BIENFAISANCE CEMETERY, YPRES, was on the North side of the Poperinghe road, immediately West of the railway, in the grounds of a school (later rebuilt). It was used by Field Ambulances in 1915-1917, and it contained the graves of 133 soldiers from the United Kingdom, three from Canada, three from Australia and one of the British West Indies Regiment.

KERKHOVE CHURCHYARD contained the graves of five United Kingdom soldiers, who fell in October and November 1918, and seven German.

POELCAPELLE GERMAN CEMETERY No.4, between Langemarck and the Poelcapelle-St. Julien road, contained the graves of 52 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1914 and 1916.

ZONNEBEKE BRITISH CEMETERIES No.1 and No.3 were on the South and North sides respectively of the Broodseinde-Zonnebeke road. Zonnebeke was occupied by the Germans on the 22 October 1914, retaken by the French on the following day, and evacuated at the beginning of May 1915; retaken by British troops on the 26 September 1917; evacuated again in April 1918; and retaken by Belgian troops on the 28th September, 1918. Four British Cemeteries were made by the Germans on the Broodseinde-Zonnebeke road; No.1 contained the graves of 31 United Kingdom soldiers (mainly 2nd East Surrey) who fell in April 1915, and No.3 those of 69 who fell in April, and May 1915.

In all, 5,139 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War are buried or commemorated in the enclosures of Bedford House Cemetery. 3,011 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials name casualties buried in other cemeteries whose graves could not be found on concentration. Second World War burials number 69 (3 of which are unidentified). There are 2 Germans buried here.

The cemetery was designed by W.C. Von Berg.

He is also commemorated on Isle of Man Roll of Honour, Finch Hill Congregational Church Roll Of Honour WW1 and the Douglas Civic Memorial.

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