Private 31003 Richard Fletcher

Died Home on Saturday, 23rd November 1918, age 22.
Buried in Grave A. 278. at Tipton Cemetery, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

9th Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment (Pioneers). Pioneer Battalion of 23rd Division.

Son of Joseph Fletcher, of 10 Round's Square, Hall Road, Tipton.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, 13th January 1917.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives survived and transcribed.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/4023573/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Richard Fletcher registered March quarter 1895 in Dudley.

1901 Census
5 Court 2 House, Chapel Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Joseph Fletcher (49, Puddler, born Tipton), his wife Rachel (49, born Tipton), and their 4 children: Lucy (19, born Tipton), Joseph (16, Horse Keeper, born Tipton), William (13, born Tipton), and Richard (7, born Tipton).

1911 Census
3 Court 1 House, Chapel Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Joseph Fletcher (58, Widower, Puddler, born Tipton), and his 2 sons: William (21, Chainmaker's Striker, born Tipton), and Richard (16, Fettler in Iron Foundry, born Tipton).

Personal Data

Richard Fletcher attested on 12th December 1915 during the final days of the Derby Scheme. Under the Derby Scheme, he was assigned to the Reserves awaiting his call-up; he was mobilised on 21st September 1916. He was 5 feet 6 inches tall with a 38-inch chest measurement, he had a 'dusky' complexion, blue eyes and fair hair and was an unmarried labourer. He expressed a preference to join the Royal Field Artillery; this preference was ignored and he joined the South Staffs at Lichfield, being posted to the 9th (Pioneer) Battalion when he landed in France on 13th January 1917.

After Richard’s discharge from the army on 14th June 1918, he was awarded a pension of 27/6d (27 shillings and 6 pence) per week for 29 weeks, then reducing to 16/6d (16 shillings and 6 pence) per week. At the time of his examination, he was recorded as having a 'dusky' complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. He was awarded the Silver War Badge to show he had been invalided out of the army.

After Richard’s death his sister, Mrs Sarah Fletcher of 5 High Street, Tipton, was awarded a Dependant's Pension of 5/0d (5 shillings exactly) per week from 27th November 1918.

Action resulting in his death

The 9th Battalion, South Staffs (9/SS) were the Pioneer battalion of 23rd Division. They had been in the Ypres sector during 1917, having served on the Somme for the entirety of the 1916 Battle of the Somme.

During July 1917, the 9/SS were based in Dickebusch, about 3 miles south-west of Ypres. On the 23rd July they were to work on the La Chapelle-Knoll road, this runs south from Zillebeke past Hill 60 to Klein Zillebeke. This road had already been constructed but was now to be ‘corrugated’ ie overlaid with timber planking. ‘B’ and ‘D’ Companies were to do the road work, and ‘A’ and ‘C’ were to do the carrying work on the 23rd.

The War Diary records that ‘B’ Company “came in for gas shell bombardment”, and that 27 Other Ranks were gassed and others slightly effected; Richard Fletcher was one of the 27 gassed. None died in the immediate days following, but the effects were devastating for Richard at least.

He was admitted to the 14th General Hospital (Wimereux) for 3 days, then the 25th General Hospital (Boulogne) where he stayed for 7 weeks suffering from pneumonia during that time. He was then moved to the 7th and 10th Convalescent Depots, before a relapse with bronchitis saw him return to the 25th General Hospital on 21st October, before being invalided back to England on 17th November 1917.

On 14th June 1918 Fletcher was discharged from the army, classified as being physically unfit. His examination determined that he was suffering from bronchitis due to the effects of Shell Gas whilst on active service. His disability was not thought to be permanent, but 60% disabled for a period of 3 months.

Fletcher was to be re-examined after 12 months, in June 1919. Unfortunately, he did not live this long, dying 5 months later on 23rd November 1918. He is buried in Tipton Cemetery with a CWGC headstone which acknowledges that the gassing was a cause of his death.

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald 15 September 1917
TIPTON WOUNDED SOLDIERS
Pte. R. Fletcher, SS.