Fleetwood George Bolitho
- Born
- Plaistow - c 1892
- Died
- France and Flanders - 11 April 1916
- Age
- 24
- Death
- Killed in action
- Served in
- Rifle Brigade
- Awards
- 1915 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal
- Memorials
- Unknown
- Lived
- Primrose Hall, West Silvertown, London E16, UK
Fleetwood's story
Bell has Corporal F Bolitho.
F Bolitho enlisted in September 1914, 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, and entered France on 18 May 1915. He was killed in action on 11 April 1916.
From early April 1916, the 2nd Battalion was in action in the trenches in the Thiepval-la-Boisselle area (Somme). Enemy artillery and trench mortars were very active and the Battalion sustained heavy casualties.
Donald Drew, nephew of Fleetwood George Bolitho, adds: ‘I have seen (at the Greenjackets Museum, Winchester) the original Battalion war diary, which reads for 1916:
“April 11th – About 7 pm the enemy commenced an intensive bombardment of the RIR (Royal Irish Regiment) trenches – the Bn (Battalion) went up in support, but after waiting some time were ordered back to billets, which they reached about midnight – The Germans effected a raid on the trenches & captured some prisoners. We had 1 Killed and 8 wounded by shellfiire in Becourt Wood.”.
I presume the “1 killed” was Fleetwood.
‘Fleetwood George and Arnold Richard were my Grandmother’s cousins. Their father was her brother. Her mother was Sarah Jane Bolitho and her Grandfather Richard Bolitho who had an action filled career in the a Royal Navy and Coastguard , receiving his long service medal in 1876. Their Uncle was a Fleetwood John Bolitho who was lost in HMS Clan McNaughton in February 1915.
Paul Carpenter
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