Pte
Frederick Heppenstall
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 14/01/1897 |
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Place of birth: Royston, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 241076 |
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Enlistment place: Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — York & Lancaster Regiment, 1/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 09/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Bellevue 's, Graventafel, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 20 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 127A |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 22/10/1920 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 22/10/1920 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Frederick Heppenstall was born in January 1897, in Royston, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was the son of Elizabeth and Herbert William Heppenstall. Frederick joined the army in Rotherham and eventually served with “C” Company, the York & Lancaster Regiment 1/5th Battalion, part of the 148th Brigade, of the 49th (West Riding) Division.
On 9 October 1917 the 1/5th York & Lancasters advanced from positions along the Ravebeek Stream up the slope of the Bellevue Ridge towards the German strongpoint of Bellevue. At 5.20 a.m. the barrage opened and the Brigade went forward to attack. The Ravebeek was the first serious obstacle for the Battalion. The stream was swollen and it’s banks were destroyed by the heavy shelling, making the advance very difficult. The Ravebeek, normally a little creek, had become 30 to 50 yards wide and waist deep at its midpoint. Notwithstanding the terrible state of the ground, crossing marshy terrain, the Battalion managed to capture a group off pillboxes near Fleet Cottage. However while moving up the slope the men came under fire from German machine-guns at Wolf Copse, Snipe Hall and from the strongpoint of Bellevue on the top of the ridge. The German machine-gun fire caused the Battalion to dig in on the slope. At nightfall, the Brigade made an unsuccessful attempt to take pillboxes near Bellevue.
The British attack on 9 October 1917 was a disaster. The barrage which had to cover the attack was unsatisfactory, leaving almost all German machine gun positions intact. It was too weak and ragged, which made it difficult to follow. The companies of the 1/5th York & Lancaster Regiment advanced behind the barrage only to find large numbers of the Germans still waiting for them. The Battalion was only able to take the first objective. Further progress became impossible and the Battalion consolidated the line along the slope of the ridge.
Private Frederick was killed in action during the attack on the Bellevue strongpoint. The 20-year old has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
On 9 October 1917 the 1/5th York & Lancasters advanced from positions along the Ravebeek Stream up the slope of the Bellevue Ridge towards the German strongpoint of Bellevue. At 5.20 a.m. the barrage opened and the Brigade went forward to attack. The Ravebeek was the first serious obstacle for the Battalion. The stream was swollen and it’s banks were destroyed by the heavy shelling, making the advance very difficult. The Ravebeek, normally a little creek, had become 30 to 50 yards wide and waist deep at its midpoint. Notwithstanding the terrible state of the ground, crossing marshy terrain, the Battalion managed to capture a group off pillboxes near Fleet Cottage. However while moving up the slope the men came under fire from German machine-guns at Wolf Copse, Snipe Hall and from the strongpoint of Bellevue on the top of the ridge. The German machine-gun fire caused the Battalion to dig in on the slope. At nightfall, the Brigade made an unsuccessful attempt to take pillboxes near Bellevue.
The British attack on 9 October 1917 was a disaster. The barrage which had to cover the attack was unsatisfactory, leaving almost all German machine gun positions intact. It was too weak and ragged, which made it difficult to follow. The companies of the 1/5th York & Lancaster Regiment advanced behind the barrage only to find large numbers of the Germans still waiting for them. The Battalion was only able to take the first objective. Further progress became impossible and the Battalion consolidated the line along the slope of the ridge.
Private Frederick was killed in action during the attack on the Bellevue strongpoint. The 20-year old has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 5
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"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 122-123. Sources used |
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Further reference |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/836273/heppenstall,-fred/ Sources used |
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The Long, Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
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War Diary 1/5th Bn. York & Lancaster Regiment http://www.nmarchive.com/ Further reference |