Prescot Roll of Honour

Service Details

Albert Edward Buckley attested for military service in Liverpool on 7th September 1914 at the age of 34. He recorded his place of birth as Cotgrave, near Nottingham and his occupation as "Shopman". He stated that he had previously served with the Royal Navy and was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment as Private 13683. His home address was not recorded.

He went to France with his unit on 5th December 1914.

Ray Westlake's 'British Battalions on the Western Front, January to June 1915' states (for the 2nd Bn), "Billeted at Locre beginning of January. Part of 7th Brigade, 3rd Division. Later began tours in Kemmel sector trenches".

In March 1915, the Battalion was in the front line near to Kemmel Chateu. The War Diary for March reads,

"Thursday 4th March


Various Parties withdrew as relieved to billets at Socre - last party arriving there about 1:30 a.m. on 5th. Very dark night. Casualties during day - 2 men killed, 5 wounded, 2 of latter during relief."

Albert was one of the men killed in action at Kemmel on 4th March 1915. He was initially buried close to where he fell, in a small cemetery north of Kemmel Chateau.

On 16th August 1915, the Army Records Office wrote to the South Lancashire Regiment with the name and address of Mrs B Parkin, 28 Grosvenor Road, as a "friend" of Albert Buckley due to the fact that communications sent to the next of kin (presumably his father) had been returned as undelivered. Albert's records from this time show his next of kin as his father, Albert, of Cleethorpes, Grimsby.

The reason for writing to Mrs Parkin is that her name and address had been entered onto the Soldier's will.

The "Register of Soldier's Effects" states that the sole recipient of Albert's outstanding pay of five pounds, eighteen shillings and five pence was Beatrice Parkin, with a further note saying that his widow was Beatrice Dilworth.

Beatrice was the widowed mother of 11 children, her husband Frederick having died in April 1913. The family had lived in Earlestown but moved to Prescot. In the 1911 census, they lived at 15, Mines Avenue.

On 28th August, the Records Office wrote to Mrs Parkin, asking, "Can you furnish me with the address of the father of the late 13683 Albert Edward Buckley, S. Lancs., the only address in my possession being "Cleethorpes, Grimsby", from which the communications have been returned".

Beatrice replied, "I received your letter to hand this morning, the only thing I can tell you about Albert Edward Buckley's father is that he did live in Cleethorpes, Grimsby but left there some time ago. A E Buckley had not seen his father in over 17 years. I was his intended wife and he told me all about his father, who turned him out from home 17 years ago, and he had not seen him or heard from him since. He had a half sister somewhere but I could not tell you where. He wrote to his half sister in Cleethorpes but the letter was sent back to him "could not find". The remainder of her letter is illegible.

However, on October 9th 1915, the Army Records Office requested that any effects of his be sent to Mrs B Parkin of 28, Grosvenor Road, Prescot. This suggests that they had accepted Mrs Parkin as the person with whom to communicate.

His effects amounted to 3 photographs, a Greeting Card and some correspondence. These were sent to Mrs Parkin on 23rd October 1915 and she wrote back to acknowledge receipt a few days later.

On 12th February 1917, Beatrice Parkin married Peter Dilworth in Prescot. Peter had joined the army in 1915 but did not see overseas service before being discharged as no longer being physically fit for military service on 10th October 1917.

Five days after Peter's discharge, on October 18th, Beatrice's son Josephwas killed in action while serving in Africa with the Royal Fusiliers. He was 23 years old, married, and lived in Scotchbarn Lane.

On 13th March 1918, another of Beatrice's sons, Fred Parkin, was killed in action while serving with the Machine Gun Corps in France. He was 27 years old and left a widow, Annie, and 2 year old daughter, Elsie.

7 months later, on 15th October, another son, George, was killed in action, aged 19. He had been serving with the South Wales Borderers in Flanders. George was unmarried.

In June 1919, the Army Records Office sent to Beatrice Dilworth a form for completion to determine who should receive Albert Buckley's memorial Scroll and Plaque. She completed the form, recording that he had no other family, and where the form asked "relationship to soldier", she wrote "None, this man only lived with me".

She further wrote a letter, which she returned with the form, saying,

"With reference to the late Pte A E Buckley, South Lancashire Regiment, I wish to state that I am Mrs Beatrice Dilworth, formerly Mrs Beatrice Parkin. I know that the above soldier has no brothers or sisters or anybody. He had a father but he told me that he did not know whether he was living or not. He did not agree with his father, and he joined the Navy when he was fourteen. Later he lived with me for some time, and we were to have been married, had he not been killed. He made his will out to me and the Government sent me what money was due to me, £5 18s 6d. I've told you all that he told me.
Yours Truly
Mrs Beatrice DIlworth"

The form was witnessed by Councillor W J Lucas.

Shortly afterwards, the army were trying to determine who should receive his memorial plaque and scroll, and enquired of the War Office, "...whether the plaque and scroll in respect of the above named soldier should be disposed of to Mrs Beatrice Dilworth, formerly Mrs B Parkin, and the intended wife of the deceased soldier.

It will be observed that Mrs Parker (sic) was legatee under the soldier's will. The eligible next of kin to receive the Memorial Plaque and Scroll is Mr Albert Buckley, father, formerly Cleethorpes, Grimsby, but all efforts to trace his present whereabouts have failed".

It would appear that the War Office approved and in 1920, the memorial scroll and plaque were dispatched to Mrs B Dilworth, of 28, Grosvenor Road, Prescot.

On 31st December 1920, Albert Buckley's body was exhumed and reburied at Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery.

Albert Buckley's military service entitled him to the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and these medals will have been dispatched to Beatrice in 1921.

At the time of the 1939 National Register, Beatrice and Peter Dilworth were still recorded at 28 Grosvenor Road, Prescot.

Beatrice and Peter Dilworth both died in Prescot in early 1941. The circumstances of their deaths is not known.

Private Buckley is remembered on the BICC Memorial

The images below, courtesy of M. Aurel Sercu, show Private Buckley's grave at Kemmel