OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE - FREDERICK WILLIAM KELLEY

 

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Happy Days - Fred and his wife Estella, children Freda and William 

Frederick William Kelley was one of the men to feature in the previous blog post "Chesterfield to Dunkirk".  His story is one of family, love and dedication.  Please join me in remembering him....

Frederick William Kelley was born at Albion Road in Chesterfield, Derbyshire on 26^th September 1894.  He was the youngest son of John and Esther Kelley.  John was a baker and confectioner, he ran his own business from the family home at 351 Chatsworth Road.  They already had one son named George who was born in 1892.

Fred and George were most likely educated at their local school, Brampton Board Boys School.  An entry in the school log book dated 2^nd August 1906 records a Fred Kelley having won 2^nd place for the geranium plant he entered in the “Chesterfield Flower Show”.  Fred would have been 12 years old at the time.  They then began their four weeks summer vacation, happy carefree days.

By 1911 both Fred and George had left school and chosen their own career paths; George (19) had followed in his father’s footsteps and was an apprentice baker.  Fred (16) had moved away from the sweet things in life to gain an apprenticeship in engineering, he was lucky to join the local business Bryan Donkin Company as an apprentice fitter tuner.  The family still lived together at their home on Chatsworth Road.

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

A young Fred at camp aged around 16 years old (c.1910)

Prior to World War 1 Fred was a member of the Notts and Derbyshire Regiment Army Transport Corps, a Territorial Force which was made up of local men who would be called upon to provide home defence should war be declared.  There was no expectation for these men to see service overseas but many men did volunteer upon the outbreak of World War 1.  Fred would have attended regular training sessions and week-long camps where he would learn the skills required to become a good soldier, skills which would serve him well in later life.  He enlisted on 2^nd November 1910 and was given the rank of driver T/148.

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Fred during World War 1

World War 1….

The early weeks of World War 1 saw a big rush of volunteers, all willing to fight for King and Country, in a war which most believed would be over by Christmas.  Fred and his brother George were no exception.  George married Constance Hewitt in 1915, he left his new wife and baby girl Marjorie to travel overseas and serve with the local Sherwood Forester Regiment.

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Fred seated next to his elder brother George Kelley

On 9^th November 1914, 20-year-old Fred travelled to Bulford in Wiltshire to enlist with the 2^nd Mechanical Divisional Supply Column (M.D.S.C) of the Army Service Corps (A.S.C).  He received his medical at Norwich on 1^st March 1915 and was given a clean bill of health; his service records describe him as 5 feet 5 inches in height and weighing 11 stones.  He was given the regimental number of M2/ 035024 and remained at Bulford until the middle of June that year when he then moved on to Witney in Oxfordshire.

In February 1916 Fred began his journey to join the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.).  Moving to Avonmouth, then Bristol he arrived in France on 18^th February 1916 where he was posted to 346 Company of the A.S.C.  Just one month later he received his first promotion to Acting Lance Corporal (unpaid) gaining full pay rights in November 1916.  As a testament to Fred’s good character and hard work the promotions kept coming; in July 1917 he gained his Corporal stripes and eventually became Sergeant in March 1918.  Fred remained in the Mediterranean until the end of August 1916 when 346 Company relocated to Salonika.

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Fred centre standing behind the mechanical equipment

The skills Fred had acquired during his civilian life made him an ideal candidate for his role with the Mechanical Division Supply Column.  These columns were responsible for the supply of goods, equipment and ammunition to the troops, sometimes delivering their loads to the front line.  Each column had lorries, cars, motor cycles and trucks, all would need to be maintained and repaired on a regular basis, often under enemy fire and in dangerous circumstances.  Fred had worked in the motor vehicle industry so it is highly likely that he possessed the necessary motor vehicle skills to carry out the essential repairs to keep the supply chain going.

Between the wars….

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Estella and Fred on their wedding day, Wesleyn Chapel, Witney.

Fred was demobilized on 30^th May 1919, he returned to civilian life but found himself drawn back to the Oxfordshire village of Witney.  The lure was a local girl named Estella Mary Eaton; it appears that Fred most likely met Estella during his time there back in 1915/16.  Fred and Estella tied the knot at the Wesleyn Chapel in Witney on 8^th February 1920.

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Estella and Fred summer 1939.

The newlyweds returned to Chesterfield where they settled into married life, they had two children; a daughter named Freda and a son named George.  In 1939 Estella was recorded as living at 164 Tapton View Road with her two children, Fred was not documented on this 1939 Register.  It is possible that that he had already joined his regiment ready for active service.  Their son George (22) appears to have followed in his father’s footsteps as he is documented as being a “motor bus maintenance apprentice turner”.  We do know that Fred was employed by Chesterfield Corporation Transport Department (the local bus service) at this time, Tapton View Road was only a quick walk away from their main depot on Sheffield Road.

World War 2….

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Fred – photo taken in the spring of 1940, his last visit home

Once again Fred enlisted to the Royal Army Service Corps (R.A.S.C), his regimental number was T/53176.  It is not known exactly when he enlisted or when he joined the B.E.F overseas, but we do know that he was stationed at the headquarters of Lord Gort (Commander-in-Chief of the B.E.F.)  at Avesnes-la-Comte near Arras in 1939/1940.    Lord Gort is known for his defiance of British Government orders, when in May 1940 instead of attacking southwards, Lord Gort ordered the troops of the B.E.F. to retreat northwards, the orders which led to the Dunkirk evacuations and ultimately spared Britain’s defeat against the German Army.

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Fred on the right at Avesnes-la-Comte

Whilst stationed at the headquarters Fred’s Officer in charge asked Fred why a man his age (45) was out in France serving with the B.E.F, a man of his age could have remained at home with his loved ones.  Fred told the Officer of his previous service during WW1; the Officer was duly impressed and suggested that Fred should retain the rank he had achieved when he demobilised at the end of WW1.  The Officer put Fred forward to have his Sergeant stripes reapplied, which meant that Fred must be transferred from his current position at Lord Gort’s Headquarters to join his old unit.  And so, Fred returned to his original unit, but he wasn’t there long before the German Army invaded Belgium and sadly Fred never did receive his Sergeant stripes.

Whilst in Avesnes-la-Comte Fred wrote home to Estella, in one letter he tells how he works on "the posh cars belonging to the G.H.Q and the C.L.C car which we have in every week, that is the car the King rode in when he was over.  I have sat in the same place as he did also Viscount Gort.  So I have got something I can swank about.  We get to know most things when the drivers bring their cars in for inspection for they travel all over".  

With kind permission of David Baxter

Derbyshire Times newspaper clipping saved by the Kelley family, 14^th March 1941 page 9

On 28^th May 1940 Fred was hit by an exploding bomb which sent a splinter into his abdomen causing fatal wounds.

Fred was “on the road to Dunkirk” at the time of his injuries and was taken by ambulance to the hospital at Zuydcoote in Belgium, 10 Km away from Dunkirk.  Fred and his comrades were on the roads along with thousands of other men, the Allies were retreating and needed to make their way to the beaches of Dunkirk as part of the Dunkirk Evacuations, "Operation Dynamo".. 

Back in Chesterfield, Estella and the children found themselves in the terrible situation of not knowing what had become of their beloved husband and father.  The initial information given was brief and simply stated that Fred was “missing in action”.  It wasn’t until the spring of 1941, a whole year since Fred had spent time on leave with his family, that Estella received the shattering news that her husband had in fact died of wounds on 30^th May 1940.   The Derbyshire Times reported the death on 14^th March 1941.

Specific details of Fred’s final days are not known, but Estella needed to know more and so she wrote to the War Office requesting further details of her husband’s death; she received an official letter which stated that he was “wounded in the abdomen by a bomb splinter on 28^th May 1940 whilst on the road to Dunkirk.  He was placed into an ambulance and taken to hospital where he died on 30^th May 1940”.

Fred died of his wounds in Zuydcoote Hospital on 30^th May 1940, he was 45 years of age. 

Taken from CWGC.org reburial document 

Fred was originally buried at Zuydcoote New Military Cemetery but his body was exhumed and reburied as part of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s concentration plan.  He was finally laid to rest on 9^th July 1948 at Dunkirk Town Cemetery, his grave can be found at plot 2, row 19, grave number 28. 

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

The stone is engraved with the following words which were chosen by his family here in Chesterfield….

“OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE”

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Fred’s memorial scroll – a treasured family heirloom 

After the war….

Life would never be the same for the Kelley family, but as did many more families, they carried on as best they could; both children were in their twenties and about to embark on their own life paths. 

Photo with kind permission of David Baxter

Freda & William 1939

Estella travelled to Durban, South Africa in 1957, her sister Freda had emigrated there around 20 years earlier.  She died on 1^st January 1981 in Aberdeen, Scotland, the home city of her daughter Freda.  Sadly, for Estella her son George had died the year earlier in 1980. 

The family were always a close, loving family, the life and experiences of Frederick William Kelley have been passed down through the generations along with the photos, letters and stories of the “old soldier”.   The Kelley family remain proud of their ancestor and he will no doubt be remembered for many, many years to come.

Fred was an everyday family man from Chesterfield who went the extra mile and served during both World Wars, his service and sacrifice will not be forgotten.  Fred’s wife and children should also be honoured for their courage and steadfastness whilst they remained in Chesterfield without the head of the family to take care of them.  I hope that I have played a small part in ensuring that the Kelley family’s story will be remembered for many years to come.

x LEST WE FORGET THEIR SACRIFICE x

I would like to thank Fred’s grandson David Baxter for kindly giving his consent for me to add some of his fabulous photos of Fred on to this blog.  David has also added some personal family stories to this blog which has enriched this brief remembrance of the life and times of Frederick William Kelley (1894-1940).