Pte 235253 Fred Shaw

• Age: 24
• From: Ringley, Stoneclough, Lancashire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Wednesday 1st August 1917
• Commemorated at: Lijssenthoek M C Poperinghe
  Panel Ref: XVII.C.8

Fred Shaw was born in the September quarter of 1893 in Ringley, the son of William and Mary Shaw. He was baptised at St Saviour's Church, Ringley on 27th August 1893. His parents married at St Saviour's Church in Ringley in 1884. This was his mother Mary's second marriage, she had married George Barrett at St Andrew's Church, Ancoats in 1873. They had three children together, Clara born in the September quarter of 1874,  Samuel born in the September quarter of 1876 and Mary born in the December quarter of 1878.

On the 1891 Census the family are living at 46 Ringley Old Brow, Outwood. Father, William, is a 34 year old coal miner born in Bolton, mother Mary is also 34 born in Ringley. They have three children in the household, all born in Ringley; Samuel Barratt 14 coal under banksman, Mary Barratt 12, Thomas Shaw 3.

On the 1901 Census the family are still living at 46 Ringley Old Brow, Outwood. Father William is a 45 year old canal labourer, mother Mary is 46, they have four children in the household; Mary Barratt 22 is a cotton weaver, Thomas 13 is an office boy, James  is 11, and Fred is 8.    

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 10 Scott St, Ringley, Stoneclough, Manchester. His father William is aged 53, having been born in 1858. He is a mason’s labourer, his mother Mary is aged 54, born 1857 in Ringley, Stoneclough, Lancashire as were all their children. They have been married for twenty five years and have six children. Those children declared in teh household are; Thomas aged 23, born 1888 is a commercial clerk, James aged 21 born 1893 a cutter in a paper mill, Fred aged 17 born 1894 works in a paper mill and Mary Barrett aged 32, born 1879 is a weaver in a cotton mill.

Fred enlisted in Farnworth and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 235253 when he died of wounds on the 1^st August, 1917 aged 24 during the Third Battle of Ypres. 

He now lies in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“THY WILL BE DONE”

During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces.

From April to August 1918, the casualty clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances (including a French ambulance) took their places.

The cemetery contains 9,901 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 24 being unidentified. There are 883 war graves of other nationalities, mostly French and German, 11 of these are unidentified. There is 1 Non World War burial here.

The only concentration burials were 24 added to Plot XXXI in 1920 from isolated positions near Poperinghe and 17 added to Plot XXXII from St. Denijs Churchyard in 1981.

Eight of the headstones are Special Memorials to men known to be buried in this cemetery, these are located together alongside Plot 32 near the Stone of Remembrance.

The cemetery, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, is the second largest Commonwealth cemetery in Belgium.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Mary and father William, 10 Scott Street, Stoneclough. S/E also states that Fred died of wounds at 17 Casualty Clearing Station.

We currently have no further information on Fred Shaw, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.