Trafford

Born during the June quarter 1896 in the Altrincham R.D. - ref: 8a/201, the
2nd son of Thomas Henry & Mary Ellen Warburton (nee Whitfield).

1901 Census - Heatley, Lymm, Cheshire.   Son - aged: 4 - born: Heatley.  
Head of household - Thomas H. Warburton - Married - aged: 34 - occ: Basket
Maker - born: Heatley.   Also - Mary E. Warburton - Wife - aged: 36 - born:
Lymm.   Plus 3 elder siblings and his maternal grandparents.

1911 Census - Radley Lane, Lymm, Cheshire.   Son - aged: 14 - occ: Clerk in
Coal Office - born: Lymm.   Head of household - Thomas Henry Warburton -
Married - aged: 44 - occ: Basket Maker - born: Heatley.   Also - Mary Ellen
Warburton - Wife - aged: 46 - born: Lymm.   Plus 5 siblings and his
maternal grandmother.

WO363 - Attested at Altrincham on the 30th August 1916 and was called up on
the 20th December 1916.  His address was given as Radley Hill, Heatley and
he was aged 20 years 4 months.   Occupation - Clerk.   He was 5 feet 9 1/4
inches in height, and had an expanded chest measurement of 34 inches with a
3 inch range and weighed 120 lb.  He had 'Good' physical development, apart
from a slightly flat foot.  He was given the service number 285031.

Posted to the 63rd Training Reserve at Kinmel Park, North Wales with the
Welsh Regiment on the 21st December 1916, then to the 64th Training Reserve
on the 20th February 1917, then transferred again to the 66th Training
Reserve on the 17th March 1917.   He was posted to France, embarking at
Southampton on the 20th May 1917, arriving at Rouen on the 21st and joined
the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment on the 11th June 1917.

At his base at Rouen on the 11th June 1917, he was charged with "Losing by
neglect, Government property viz: Cap Badge", for which he had two days pay
deducted.   He was admitted to the 10th Canadian Field Ambulance on the
11th November 1917, suffering from Trench Foot with both feet being swollen
and tender.   Repatriated back to England aboard the "Ville de Lige" and
was admitted to the 20 General War Hospital, Huddersfield, Yorkshire on the
15th November 1917.

Posted back to France on the 30th March 1918 and into the 11th Battalion,
Cheshire Regiment No. 53694 on the 31st.  Posted to the Field on the 4th
April 1918 and was wounded on the 9th.   Suffering a bullet wound to his
foot he was admitted to the 1/3rd Western Regiment Field Ambulance and
passed back for treatment to the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station and
from there back to the 14th Stationery Hospital, Boulogne.   After
treatment he was returned to the Infantry Base Depot at Rouen on the 28th
April 1917.  He rejoined his Battalion in the field on the 17th May 1918.

There is a caveat with the above WO363 information in that there are
numerous contradictions between the various records.  I have interpreted
them as best I can, but cannot vouch for their correctness.  The
information below is OK.

On the 2nd July 1918, his mother wrote to the Shrewsbury Records Office
enquiring about her son.   She said that: "Before being wounded he wrote
from his base on the 15th May 1918, saying that he was going back to join
the same Company.

He was reported as Missing between the 26th May and the 1st June 1918.  The
letter (below) is the unofficial report on his death which was accepted
officially as being on the 27th May 1918.

Writing to his wife at 35 Cotswald Road, Liverpool, Frederick's 2nd
Lieutenant - A. Blytheway, writing from a German POW Camp at Grandenz, West
Prussia wrote:  "And now the rather painful duty.  I want you to write to
Mr. M.E. Warburton, Radley Hill, Heatley and tell her that her son N0.
285031, Cheshires, was instantly killed by a sniper at 3.30 pm on the 27th
May last.  She will have heard nothing poor thing and will be glad of some
news even the worst.  I have his pay book and Will leaving everything to
her and containing some photos which, some day I hope to let her have"  
Mrs. E.M. Blytheway passed the letter to The Riding School, Shrewsbury and
they wrote to Mrs. Warburton.

The Warburton Cenotaph states that he was with the 22nd Bn, but the CWGC &
SDGW state that he was with the 11th Bn, as does his WO363 record.

Took part in the Battle of the Marne (Chemin des Dames Breakthrough) - At
01.00hrs on the 27th May 1918, some 4,000 German artillery and mortar
pieces, fired 2 million shells at the allied forces along a 30 km stretch
of the front line.  Many that lived through the barrage suffered from shell
shock.

There is a "Warburton" without a forename, listed on the Altrincham Roll of
Honour.