2nd Lieut Frank Critchley

The majority of the available domestic records have the family name recorded as Crutchley, the most telling is the family grave headstone, also the father’s probate being in that name. 

 

Frank Crutchley/Critchley was born on the 08th June 1891 in Warrington, the son of George Henry Crutchley and his wife Sarah Jane (nee Bickerstaff) who were married in the June Quarter of 1883 at All Saints Church, Thelwall.

 

Frank was baptised on the 23rd August 1891 in Warrington, his parents address then 21 Robson Street.  

 

On the 1891 Census his family are living at 21 Robson Street, Warrington. His father, George H., is aged 29, a wiredrawer born in Warrington, his mother Sarah J. is aged 29 and was born in Liverpool. They have four children in the hpousehold all born in Warrington: Arthur H. 6, Jessie 4, Florence 3 and Minnie 1. 

 

His sister Minnie died aged 3 in 1892. 

 

On the 1901 Census the family have moved to 48 Willis Street, Warrington. His father, George, is aged 39, a wire worker, his mother Sarah is aged 39. They now have five children in the houshold; Arthur 16, a clerk for a builders merchants, Jessie 14, a wire weaver, Florence 13, Frank 9 and Ada 8 months. 

 

On the 1911 Census the family are still at 48 Willis Street, Warrington. His father, George, is aged 49, a wire drawer, his mother Sarah is aged 50. They state that they have been married for 27 years and have had 6 children, 5 of whom have survived. They have five children in the household;  Arthur 26, married and a clerk for a seed merchant, Jessie 24 a shop assistant for a cabinet maker, Florence 22, a dressmaker, Frank 19, a clerk for a builder, Ada 10, and a grandchild Ada 2. 

 

Frank was educated at the National School and was associated with local Parish Church. He was employed by Messrs. H. Fairclough, Seed Merchants, and was a keen sportsman with interests in football, cricket and athletics. 

 

Frank’s service record exists at the National Archive in Kew but is yet to be seen, but his military history is in the name of Critchley. A similar recruit, Donald Anderson, enlisted as Pte 16696 in the King’s Liverpool 18th Batt., and then transferred to 8987 Army Cyclist Corps. From his 1915 Star medal roll, Frank transferred out to Pte 8977 Army Cyclist Corps, embarking for France on the 8th Nov 1915. A Pension Record, known as the Officers Army Family dependants, was set up indicating the Liverpool Regt.  

 

Name, Frank Critchley 

 

Rank, 2nd Lieutenant 

 

Record Type, Military 

 

Identification Number, Oaf/28114(Officers Army Family dependants) 

 

Corps, Regiment or Unit, L'POOL R 

 

Title, WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers 

 

Whilst in France he was promoted to L/Cpl but returned to England to join the Officer Cadets. He was gazetted on the 26th July 1917. 

 

The undermentioned cadets to be temp. 2nd Lt’s (attd.) 27th June 1917:- 

 

 

Frank returned to France to take up his commission with the South Lancs Regiment, the newspapers were soon reporting him in hospital. 

 

St Helens Examiner 29th September 1917: 

 

 

 

Frank died of wounds on 10th April 1918, aged 26.

 

55th Division, 4th Battalion, South Lancs Regt.(Pioneers) War Diary:- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His death was reported in the Runcorn Examiner on 13th April 1918: 

 

 

 

 

Frank now rests at Chocques Military Cemetery in France:

 

Chocques was occupied by Commonwealth forces from the late autumn of 1914 to the end of the war. The village was at one time the headquarters of I Corps and from January 1915 to April 1918, No.1 Casualty Clearing Station was posted there. Most of the burials from this period are of casualties who died at the clearing station from wounds received at the Bethune front. From April to September 1918, during the German advance on this front, the burials were carried out by field ambulances, divisions and fighting units. The groups of graves of a single Royal Artillery brigade in Plot II, Row A, and of the 2nd Seaforths in II D, and III A, are significant of the casualties of the 4th Division at that time. The big collective grave in VI A contains the remains of 29 soldiers of the 4th King's Liverpool Regiment killed in a troop train in April 1918. The stone memorial in IA is placed behind the graves of eight men of the 3rd Squadron, RFC, killed in a bomb explosion on the aerodrome at Merville in March 1915. After the Armistice it was found necessary to concentrate into this Cemetery (Plots II, III, IV and VI) a large number of isolated graves plus some small graveyards from the country between Chocques and Bethune. 

 

Chocques Military Cemetery now contains 1,801 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 134 of then unidentified. There are also 82 German war graves, 47 being unidentified. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

 

His family posted a notice on the first anniversary of his death in the Runcorn Examiner 12th April 1919: 

 

 

 

His Soldiers Effects went to father George H., the pension record has no award. 

 

His mother, Sarah, died aged 61 on the 21st August 1921 and was buried a Warrington Unitary Cemetery. 

 

His father, George, date of birth 21st April 1861, is found on the 1939 register living alone still at 48 Willis Street. He died aged 81 on the 01st September 1942 and was buried in Warrington Unitary Cemetery. 

 

Probate:- 

 

CRUTCHLEY - George Henry of 48 Willis Street Warrington died 1 September 1942 Administration Llandudno 5 February to Ada Robinson (wife of Redvez Thomas Hindley Robinson). Effects £502 12s 18d. 

 

The family grave reads:- 

 

In Loving Memory of 

 

2nd Lieut FRANK CRUTCHLEY  

 

1st 4th South Lancs, Died in France  

 

Of Wounds Received in Action  

 

April 10th 1918, Aged 26 years. 

 

SARAH JANE CRUTCHLEY  

 

Died August 21st 1921, Aged 61 years.  

 

GEORGE HENRY CRUTCHLEY  

 

Died September 1st 1942, Aged 81 years.