Fred's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Fred Catterall was born in Beswick, Manchester in 1894, the son of Alice Jane (nee Ashford) and Edward Catterall, an iron turner for cotton machinery. In 1901, seven-year-old Fred was living with his parents at 57 Hassop Street, Beswick. The family had moved to Macclesfield by 1903, where Fred's brother Bert was born, but he sadly died when just a few weeks old. A sister, Amy, had previously died as a baby in 1892.
By 1911 the family had moved to 48 Stanley Street, Macclesfield, where they ran a lodging house; the census records that in addition to the family of three and one servant, a further 26 men stayed in the property that night. Seventeen-year-old Fred was working at Carlisle's paper mill in Heapy Street, Macclesfield.
After the war, Fred's parents lived at 53 Napier Street, Ardwick, Manchester.
WW1 SERVICE
Fred had already joined the local 7th (Territorial) battalion of the Cheshire Regiment when war broke out, with service number 1710, and was mobilised immediately. He began his overseas service on 8th August 1915 at Gallipoli, surviving the landing at Suvla Bay despite a bullet embedding itself in a bully beef tin in his haversack. Fred remained in the Dardanelles for six months, gaining promotion to Lance-Corporal, but was hospitalised, suffering from frostbite. Fred was then repatriated to England, arriving at Christmas 1915. Upon recovery he returned home for ten days furlough in February 1916 and sent to Egypt at the end of March 1916 to rejoin the battalion.
Fred was killed in action at the Battle of Gaza on 26 March 1917. His death was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 20 April 1917:
A LOCAL ATHLETE – LCE-CORPORAL CATTERALL KILLED AT GAZA
Mr Edward Catterall, 4 House 1 Court Windmill St, Macclesfield, has been officially notified of the death in action at the battle of Gaza on March 26th of his son Lce-Corpl Fred Catterall, Cheshire Regt. Lce-Corpl Catterall was 23 years of age and nearly six feet in height. He was born in Manchester and his parents came to live in Derby St, Macclesfield when he was six years of age. The lance-corporal received his education at Christ Church day school and was formerly employed at Messrs Carlisle’s paper mill, Heapy St. On the outbreak of war he was mobilised with the local Territorials, having previously served for over twelve months. The deceased was drafted out to Suvla Bay, where he had a narrow escape, a bullet embedding itself in a bully beef tin in his haversack. He remained in the Dardanelles for six months, and afterwards went into hospital suffering from frostbite. Lance-Corpl Catterall subsequently set sail for England, arriving on Christmas morning of 1915. Upon recovery he came home on a ten days furlough about the end of February. He was then transferred to Oswestry, from whence he was ordered out to Egypt at the end of March 1916. [He] was… a member of the old Macclesfield Athletic Club, in which he gained several prizes…
COMMEMORATION
L/Cpl Fred Catterall has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel Ref. 19 of the Jerusalem Memorial, Israel. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for L/Cpl Fred Catterall.
In Macclesfield, L/Cpl Fred Catterall is commemorated on the Park Green and Christ Church School war memorials.
SOURCES
GRO (England & Wales) Index: Births
Census (England & Wales): 1901, 1911
UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls
UK, World War I Service Medal Index Cards
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 20 April 1917, 23 September 1921 (photo supplement)
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.