2481: Louis Kershaw

Louis was born in Cleckheaton in 1894, the youngest of 5 children George Kershaw (an elementary school head teacher) and his wife Annie née Preston. He worked as a bank clerk before the war. He served firstly in 3/7th Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment (Territorial Force) and passed a course as a platoon commander in March 1916. He was then seconded as an instructor at the Northern Army Grenade School at Mildenhall. He later served as a platoon commander in the 2/7th Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment. This battalion went to France in January 1917 as part of 62nd West Riding Division. Following the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt (3rd May 1917) Louis was admitted to hospital in suffering from 'neurasthenia' (shell-shock) resulting from a 'mini explosion' (minenwerfer, German trench mortar). He returned to service in October, but it is not known whether he returned to the front in time for the Battle of Cambrai where his battalion was heavily engaged 20-25th. He later transferred to the R.A.F. and survived the war. His eldest brother Milton was killed in action in November 1914, while his other brother George Fitzer served as a Lieutenant in the Yorkshire Regiment and was discharged in August 1918 (presumably disabled earlier that year).

Louis's daughter Sally Dyer relates that not a lot is known about her father's war service as he never talked about it. The family believed that he was gassed. Of Fitzer even less is known - he was never spoken about as he lived with a married woman!