Corporal 1277445 Francis Battersby

BMD details:
Marriage of Francis Battersby to Amy Fenney reg Q2 1934 in Prescot. Vol 8b page 1310

Family details:
Son of Henry and Mary Jane Battersby, of St. Helens, Lancashire, England; husband of Amy Battersby, of Sutton Oak, St. Helens.

Census details:
1939 Register. 28 years old Francis Battersby born 03/04/1911 and employed as a Circular Sawyer and wife Amy Singleton (Batterby) born 20/10/1909 an Unpaid Domestic are living at 2 Carnegie Street, Sutton, St Helens. There are two members of the household redacted who are probably their children.

Notes:
[url=lmem.php?lmem=1]Remembered on All Saints War Memorial, Sutton, St Helens[/url] B E M

1277445 Corporal Francis Battersby, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. deceased In October, 1944, Corporal Battersby and six other airmen commenced work at a town in Belgium on the clearance of hotels and houses required for occupation by the Royal Air Force. They were engaged in buildings comprising about 1,000-rooms and the enemy had drawn the window shutters and removed the electric lighting system. The party worked with hand torches. On the following day 3 of the party were badly injured and a fourth member received severe shock from the explosion of a charge which was detonated by the fouling of a concealed trip wire. Corporal Battersby took charge of the remaining members of the party, until the arrival of his Flight Commander, and continued the work until 1400 hours on the seventh day when the hotels were finally cleared. During this period So enemy mines and prepared charges, ingeniously hidden and laid to be functioned by one or more trip wires, were recovered, neutralised and disposed of. On a previous occasion Corporal Battersby was required to continue this form of work after casualties had occurred among his party. He has displayed high courage and leadership.(London Gazette - 23 March 1945) Information courtesy of [url]http://www.rafweb.org/BEM_Holders3.htm[/url] [pic]imgs/WW2_headstones/BattersbyF.jpg[/pic][caption]The headstone of Corporal Francis Battersby B.E.M at Adegem Canadian War Cemetery[/caption]