Altrincham WW1 

Walter Ernest Lichfield MM

Rank:SergeantNumber:3506
Ship/Rgn/Sqn No:01st Bn
Name of Rgt or Ship:King's Own (Royal Lancaster Rgt)
Died:01/07/1916Age:37
How Died:Killed in Action
Country of burial:France
Cemetery or Memorial:Thiepval Memorial, Somme
Town Memorial:Altrincham
Extra Information:
Born in South Shields, Co. Durham in 1878.

1881 Census - Hall Street, Glossop Dale, Derbyshire.    Son - aged: 4 -
Scholar - born: South Shields, Co. Durham.    Head of household - Fred
Lichfield - Married - aged: 35 - occ: Comedian - born: Rochdale,
Lancashire.  Also - Fanny Lichfield - Wife - aged: 35 - occ: Comedian
(Actor) - born: Leeds, Yorkshire.   Plus 2 siblings and 1 servant.

1891 Census -  11 Moss Street, Skelmersdale, Lancashire.  Son - aged: 14 -
born: Co. Durham.    Head of household - Fred Lichfield - Married - aged:
45 - occ: Theatre Propietor - born: Rochdale, Lancashire.  Also - Fanny
Lichfield - Wife - aged: 45 - born: Leeds, Yorkshire.   Plus 1 elder
sister.

His father died in 1893, aged: 46.

1901 Census - No Trace - probably in South Africa.  His widowed mother -
Frances Lichfield was residing with her daughter and family at 57 Ashfield
Road, Altrincham.

Married Jane Elizabeth Warrington during the September quarter 1904 in the
Altrincham R.D. - ref: 8a/329.

1911 Census -  24 Borough Road, Altrincham.     Head of household - Married
- aged: 33 - occ: Window Cleaner - born: South Shields, Northumberland.   
Also - Jane Elizabeth Lichfield - Wife - aged: 26 - born: Altrincham.   
Plus their daughter - Maude Lichfield - aged: 4 - born: Altrincham.

Served throughout the South African War.     Employed as a Window Cleaner
by W. Whitehead & Son,  Altrincham.

Enlisted in this war in August 1914 (re-called ?) and drafted to the front
new year 1915/16.   Mentioned in despatches.

The 04/06/1915 edition of the local newspaper reports him as being a Lance
Corporal and that he had sent a letter home to his wife in which he stated
that the Germans had gassed them by firing hundreds of gas shells (which
they called "Stink Pots") at them.  He said that the Germans were playing a
"dirty game".

Reported as missing in the 04/08/1916 edition of the Altrincham Guardian. 
Death confirmed (after 12 months) in the 30/03/1917 edition of that
newspaper.

Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1918.

Memorials found on:
Altrincham & District Roll of Honour
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