STANLEY MORRIS BICKERSTETH CONFUSED IF HIS GRAVE EXISTS

[padrenick]

I am confused as to whether Lieutenant Stanley Morris Bickersteth is in the grave with his headstone or not?  All the books I have read say that his brother could not find his body and erected a cross in the cemetery where he thought he was buried. Any advice welcome

LIEUTENANTSTANLEY MORRIS BICKERSTETH

Regiment & Unit/Ship

West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)

Cdg. "B" Coy. 15th Bn.

Date of Death

Died 01 July 1916

Age 25 years old

Buried or commemorated at

QUEENS CEMETERY, PUISIEUX

E. 19.

France

• Country of ServiceUnited Kingdom
• Additional InfoSon of The Rev. Samuel Bickersteth, D.D., Vicar of Leeds (afterwards Canon of Canterbury), Chaplain to the King, and of Ella, his wife, daughter of Sir Monier Monier-Williams, K.C.I.E. Educated at Rugby and Christ Church, Oxford. Joined his regiment in Sept., 1914, serving first in Egypt.
• Personal InscriptionFIFTH SON OF DR. BICKERSTETH VICAR OF LEEDS & ELLA HIS WIFE "CONTENT"

[david murdoch]

On the CWGC entry there is attached the graves report, and the headstone report. It is likely the headstone would be replacing a wooden cross with a marker tag or one made by comrades or indeed the brother. The "buried or commemorated " phrase is standard used by the CWGC - I don't think it indicates dubiety. In other cases where there is doubt they sometimes use "known to be buried  near this spot"  or "known to be buried in this cemetery" when the actual grave is not verified. He's in a row of 1/7/1916 casualties and there is noting to indicate he isn't buried there.

Morris Bickersteth – the vicar’s son | Leeds Pals Volunteer Researchers (wordpress.com)

[padrenick]

Thanks for that.  From the account I read. His brother who was a chaplain, tried repeatedly to get to the place where he was killed but was prevented from doing so because of shell fire. he looked for his body and could not find it and assumed he was buried in the Queen's Cemetery. He therefore conducted a funeral service for him and at the committal spread earth to the four corners of the compass and then erected the cross which was then replaced by a gravestone.  It ought to be a special memorial because from what I can ascertain, his body was never recovered. 

[Colin W Taylor]

Padre Nick,

I don't have my copy of the book to hand to check. However, Puisieux is behind the German lines from the Battle of the Some and the area of no man's land was covered by German fire until the German withdrawal in the Spring of 1917. It is likely that the burial is from the battlefield clearance in early 1917. It is likely that the duplicate grave marker placed in his memory was removed from whichever cemetery it was placed in if a body was subsequently found and identified.

Regards

Colin

 

 

 

[padrenick]

Thanks Colin.  Yes I understand his brother was prevented from going to the scene of his death by the British army who said it was unsafe. Thanks for your input Padre Nick 

[jay dubaya]

Would the brother be John Burgon? The Marquis du Ruvigny entry for Stanley states he was buried on the battlefield, this area was cleared by V Corps during the spring 1917 when Queens Cemetery was created. Stanley may have been identified when he was recovered during this period and a named cross could mark his grave. It may seem more likely that this was when his brother also marked his grave.

[Michelle Young]

Imagine the brother would have been the Rev Julian Bickersteth, Chaplain to the 56th Div.

[Colin W Taylor]

Nick,

I've just checked; after reading the book a decade ago I took photos of Stanley's officer file when I was at Kew. Below states he was found and buried at Matthew Copse, likely close to where he was killed. Queen's cemetery actually next to Sheffield Memorial Park very close to the front line than I thought (my error above - I was thrown by 'Puisieux' which is behind the German lines).  

Below states he was found by the KOYLI and buried by then in late 1916:

 'Last seen' statements as to his death: (apologies for quality):

Apologies, I used to weed some officer files I acquired to reduce space - hopefully the key files are shown.

Merry Christmas

Kind regards

Colin  

[padrenick]

Yes he was Padre Bickersteth 

[padrenick]

Colin  you are brilliant and on Christmas Day too. Happy Christmas and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Padre Nick 

[david murdoch]

Interesting to see there are contemporary documents which pre date the CWCG clearly showing he was found and buried in an identified battlefield grave. Looking at the CWGC burial report it is three years later, but there are no indications of reburials or concentration report where they would normally give map reference where body was either found or originally buried.

[rolt968]

4 hours ago, Colin W Taylor said:

Nick,

I've just checked; after reading the book a decade ago I took photos of Stanley's officer file when I was at Kew. Below states he was found and buried at Matthew Copse, likely close to where he was killed. Queen's cemetery actually next to Sheffield Memorial Park very close to the front line than I thought (my error above - I was thrown by 'Puisieux' which is behind the German lines).  

Below states he was found by the KOYLI and buried by then in late 1916:

 'Last seen' statements as to his death: (apologies for quality):

Apologies, I used to weed some officer files I acquired to reduce space - hopefully the key files are shown.

Merry Christmas

Kind regards

Colin  

Thank you.

This interesting. I had an idea that somewhere in the Bickersteth Diaries, it reports that the family received (at least 3?) different eye witness reports of Morris Bickersteth's death. So far rereading I have only found where Rev Julian Bickersteth reports meeting Pte., 1218 Bateson who gave a much more detailed report of the death as he was very close. The account does not differ greatly from the above.

RM

[padrenick]

Thank you