Belgian Corner Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Belgian Corner Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Frederick Skea, one of 7 children, was the 4th born of 6 sons and had 1 elder sister. His father William Scott Skea was born at Leith, Edinburghshire, Scotland in 1854. Post 1871 he moved to the north east and was married in 1878 at Sunderland, County Durham, to local girl Mary Jane Kelly born 1858. In 1881 they were living at 9, Trinity Place, Sunderland, where William was employed as a boiler maker supporting his wife, 1-year old Thomas born May 4th 1879 and new born William Jnr, born September 21st 1880. Over the next 10 years they had a further 4 children James in 1883 was the last of their children born in England as they returned to Scotland where Peter was born in 1886, Elizabeth 1888, Frederick, November 4th 1891 and Joseph, November 18th 1893.
They returned to England post 1893 and occupied a shared property at 23, Hartley Street, Sunderland in 1891. William had returned to his previous occupation as a boiler maker, Thomas (21) was employed as a ship yard labourer, William Jnr (20) a labourer at the boiler shop, Peter (15), Elizabeth (13), Frederick (9) and Joseph (7) although of school age are not listed as scholars, James (18) was living as a boarder at 32 Burleigh Street, Sunderland, the home of mariner Luke Kelly and wife Jane, employed as a grocer’s assistant. By 1911 they had moved into 3 rooms at 39, South Durham Street. James had married in 1902, William maintained his employment as a marine boilermaker, Thomas (32) and William (30) were labourers at the shipyard, Fred (19) a grocery van driver, Joseph (17) worked in a pie shop and Elizabeth (23) assisted her mother at home.
After the declaration of war, July 28th 1914, Frederick left his employment as a driver and enlisted at Sunderland, September 11th 1914 assigned as Private 15767 Durham Light Infantry posted to their barracks at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. The recruits left Newcastle for Aylesbury, September 29th and were split into the 14th and 15th Battalions, attached to the 64th Brigade, 21st Division. Frederick was posted to the 14th, and moved October 3rd to Halton Park then on to High Wycombe, November 14th 1914, where intensive training began after the issue of khaki uniforms. Returning to Halton Park, April 19th 1915 they were made ready for service overseas and moved to Whitley Camp near Aldershot.
Having been promoted to the rank of unpaid Lance Corporal, Frederick departed with the British Expeditionary Force, September 11th 1915, landing at Boulogne as part of the 21st Division. Without any nursery training they were rushed into battle at Loos, the first major British attack on the Western Front. Forging forward they reached the old German line September 26th 1915 but were driven back by machine gun fire. The 14th lost almost 300 men killed or wounded including their commanding officer.
In November 1915 the battalion was transferred to the 6th Division in Belgium spending a harsh winter in the mud filled trenches of the Ypres salient. This had a detrimental effect on Frederick's health, between March 3rd and June 27th 1915 he was taken on 4 occasions by the 17th and 18th Field Ambulance to the Dressing Station suffering from bronchitis and fever and was also admitted to hospital May 18th 1916 suffering from scabies.
Frederick was promoted to paid Lance Corporal, July 6th 1916. One month later the division left Belgium and moved south to the Somme but were not involved in a principal way. He received a promotion to Corporal, September 18th 1916 but this was short lived as he was charged with desertion, October 15th 1916 and placed under arrest charged with, “when on Active Service deserting His Majesty’s Service in that he in the trenches on Oct. 15th absented himself from duty in the trenches from 6.30 p.m. until reporting at the Transport Lines about 8.30 p.m. on Oct. 16th.” Found guilty he was reduced to the ranks and given a 2 year sentence, October 26th 1916. His sentence was suspended November 10th 1916 and he was posted to the 18th Infantry Brigade until his return to duty as Private 15767 Durham Light Infantry and posted to the 19th Battalion, February 6th 1918.
The 19th Battalion Durham Light Infantry was a Bantam Battalion attached to the 35th Division. Private Skea joined them in Belgium, however the division was sent to the Somme in March 1918 when the Germans attacked once again on that front, returning to Belgium in September 1918.
Private 15767 Frederick Skea was reported as, “wounded and missing,” and later confirmed to have died of wounds, September 16th 1918 almost two years to the day after his brother Private 1570 James Skea D.L.I. who had died on the Somme, September 18th 1916. Frederick was interred at Belgium Battery Corner Military Cemetery, 12.5 kilometres from Ypres, Belgium, used primarily by a dressing station in a cottage nearby. Private 15767 Frederick Skea Durham Light Infantry is at rest grave II. M. 10, he was 29 years of age and single.
His mother Mary Jane as his sole beneficiary received all monies due to him from the Army and his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Frederick’s mother Mary Jane Skea nee Kelly died in 1929 aged 72 years, William Scott Skea aged 79 years in 1933, both registered in the district of Sunderland.
All the Skea brothers served during WW1, however only the record of Private 1570 James Skea Durham Light Infantry has been found.
Thomas, William, Peter and Joseph Skea served in France and survived the conflict.
Thomas Skea (Tom) married at Sunderland in 1923 to Mary J. Cowe and died at Sunderland in 1937.
William Skea (Willie) died at Sunderland in 1946.
Peter Skea had married prior to the commencement of WW1 in 1907 at Sunderland to Sarah Ann Pescod with whom he had 7 children between 1910 and 1923, Edna, Lilian, Peter, William, Stanley, Gordon and Lorna. He died December 13th 1928.
Joseph Skea (Joe) married Margaret F. Swalwell in 1929 with whom he had 3 children between 1930 and 1933, Joseph, Raymond and Elizabeth. He died at Sunderland in 1950.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Frederick Skea is remembered at Sunderland in S140.48 part 2 and S140.109 and in the The D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 249.
The CWGC entry for Private Skea